Ask The County Agent: Are almond milk products true dairy food?

By OLIVIA HANDLEY, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, UGA Coweta County Extension Office

Olivia Handley

QUESTION: Do Almond milk and almond milk products count as a true dairy food?

AGENT: No. Almond milk and almond milk products are not dairy foods.

There are so many choices when you look at any dairy shelf these days in grocery stores.  Many are made from plant milks and tout themselves to be dairy products and great sources of calcium.  But few actually fill the bill.  Let’s look at what a dairy product is, and then we can truly understand the reasoning behind the answer.

Dairy foods are foods made from milk, typically mammals’ milk and contain calcium, protein, potassium, and Vitamins A & D, along with several other trace nutrients.  These are essential for good health.  Calcium and Vitamin D are necessary for bone health, while Vitamin A is needed for good vision and immune health.  Protein is needed for muscle development and potassium helps maintain a healthy blood pressure. While these nutrients are found in other foods as well, they are not in the abundance that they are found in dairy foods.

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends MyPlate as a simple guide for making healthy food choices. Dairy is an important part of a healthy diet. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are included as part of the dairy group in MyPlate, even the lower fat or fat free versions of dairy still have the same health benefits as their whole milk counterparts. Lactose free dairy options are also great because they maintain all their needed nutrients to still be called a dairy food, they only have the lactose removed.  Lactose is a sugar in milk which can be hard for some people to digest.   Dairy foods that are high in fat content but not calcium are not included in the MyPlate Dairy Group and include  cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and butter.

The only plant-based milk substitute which can be counted as a dairy food is Calcium-fortified soy milk and fortified soy-milk products.  These products are fortified with additional calcium, vitamin A & D so they can be more similar to cow’s milk.  While they are not actually equivalent to cow’s milk, they can be counted as servings of dairy.  Soy milk is the only plant-based milk with similar amounts of protein to cow’s milk.  But no other plant-based milk alternative can be a true dairy food: this includes almond, rice, coconut, oat, or hemp milks. Their nutrient content is not like cow’s milk or fortified soy milk, and they have very little protein.

There are other calcium choices for those who do not eat or drink dairy products.  But these are not considered dairy products.  Calcium fortified juices and milk alternatives, such as the almond or rice milk, canned fish, tofu, and some leafy greens have calcium.  These are great ways to supplement the calcium needed for a healthy diet. Most adults need around 3 cups or servings of dairy daily, while children under the age of 9 need 2 to 2 ½ cups daily. It is best to try to vary sources of dairy for a more varied nutrient value.

Dairy foods are a very important part of a healthy diet. It is just as important to make sure you are choosing true dairy products, so that you are getting the calcium, protein and vitamins that your body needs.

For more information, contact the Coweta County Extension office at 770-254-2620 or [email protected]  for more information about nutrition and healthy eating habits for all ages.

University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Veteran, Disability Institution. 

Photo Credit: NC State Extension