There is no shortage of food alternatives and the same is true of milk. Grocery store shelves are lined with plant-based dairy alternatives. Two of the more popular alternatives are almond milk and oat milk.
My husband and I have always been big milk consumers. I love it in everything from mashed potatoes to my daily morning coffee. My husband eats a bowl of cereal every night before bed and has smoothies three times a week.
In recent years there has been so much information about the health benefits of consuming plant-based foods that we decided to give plant-based milk a try. We were worried about making the switch though.
In this article, I am going to share with you how these two plant-based kinds of milk compare to each other. I will be comparing everything from calories, fat, carbs, protein, and even the taste of each one.
There is a variety of flavors and brands for both almond and oat milk but I will only be comparing Aldi’s original Almond Milk and Oatly’s original oat milk since these are available where I live.
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Calorie Comparison
The first comparison I like to make with any food is the number of calories, especially in something my husband and I will be consuming on a daily basis.
Oat milk contains double the amount of calories per serving than almond milk. One cup of oat milk contains 120 calories versus almond milk’s 60 calories.
Milk Type |
Calories Per Serving (1 cup/240 ml) |
|
Almond Milk (original) |
60 kcal |
|
Oat milk (unsweetened) |
120 kcal |
The number of calories will vary depending on the different brands of almond milk and oat milk.
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Fat Comparison
I don’t normally think of fat when I’m eating regular almonds or oats but when these two foods are made into milk, things change, especially when it comes to purchasing plant-based milk.
Oil is added to oat milk to give it a smooth, creamy texture. You purchase oat milk without any added oils but these brands are not widely available in all areas.
Compared to regular cow’s milk, either almond milk or oat milk are healthier alternatives. One cup of cow’s milk contains over 7 grams of fat and almost 5 grams of saturated fat.
Almond milk is low in fat, containing only 2.5 grams of fat per one-cup serving. Almond milk also contains a small amount of heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats.
Fat Type |
Almond Milk (1 cup/240 ml) |
Oat Milk (1 cup/240 ml) |
|
Total Fat |
2.5 g |
4.99 g |
|
Saturated Fat |
0 g |
0.504 g |
|
Trans Fat |
0 g |
0 g |
|
Monounsaturated Fat |
1.49 g |
0 g |
|
Polyunsaturated Fat |
0.504 g |
0 g |
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Protein Comparison
Protein is important in everyone’s diet but especially in women. My biggest concern in switching from dairy-based milk to a plant-based one was whether or not I would be getting enough protein in my diet.
In this comparison, oat milk has more protein than almond milk. Oat milk contains more contains 3 grams of protein per serving while almond milk only has 1.
It is possible to purchase almond milk and oat milk that is enriched with more protein but these are not available in every area. Check out the stores around you to find one that is a higher amount of protein.
Milk Type |
Protein Content Per Serving (1 cup/240 ml) |
|
Almond Milk (original) |
1.01 g |
|
Oat milk (unsweetened) |
3 g |
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Carbohydrate Comparison
Neither my husband nor myself are on a low-carb diet per-say, but we do try to be careful about the number of carbs we consume on a daily basis. If you are someone who is on a low-carb diet and needs to be careful about the number of carbs you consume, almond milk is the right choice for you.
Almond milk has almost 8 grams of carbs per serving while Oat Milk contains double the amount at 16 grams per serving.
Milk Type |
Carbs Per Serving (1 cup/240 ml) |
|
Almond Milk (original) |
7.99 g |
|
Oat milk (unsweetened) |
16 g |
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Calcium Comparison
Here, again, was a concern of mine when deciding whether or not to leave dairy-based milk behind. Calcium is important to my health as a woman, but also for my entire family.
Calcium is important for proper bone growth and development in children. It also plays a vital role in keeping our blood vessels healthy so they can move blood throughout our bodies.
I expected there to be a large difference in the calcium found in these two kinds of milk versus regular cow’s milk, however, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is not the case. Both almond milk and oat milk contain more protein per serving than regular milk.
Both almond milk and oat milk are good choices when it comes to protein. One serving of almond milk has 389 ml of protein, 30% of the daily recommended value. Oat milk has 350 ml of protein, 25% of the daily recommended value.
Milk Type |
Calcium Per Serving (1 cup/240 ml) |
|
Almond Milk (original) |
389 ml (30% DV) |
|
Oat milk (unsweetened) |
350 ml (25% DV) |
|
Regular, whole milk |
300 ml |
The daily recommended amount of calcium will vary depending on your gender, age, and activity level. The information provided in the chart above is based on the FDA’s recommendation for an adult with a 2,000-calorie diet.
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Key Takeaways
Almond milk and oat milk are both healthy plant-based alternatives to dairy-based milk. Comparing the two side-by-side made it easy to see that there are a lot of advantages to both kinds of milk but here are some of the key takeaways from this comparison:
- Almond milk is lower in calories than oat milk.
- Almond milk is lower in fat than oat milk and also has heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats.
- Oat milk contains more protein than almond milk but it also has a higher amount of carbs per serving.
- When it comes to calcium, both almond milk and oat milk contain a high amount of protein per serving.
Almond Milk vs Oat Milk Taste Test
After comparing these two kinds of milk side-by-side it was time to do the taste test. If you’re like me, seeing the nutritional value of a food is important but if I don’t like how something tastes, I’m not going to consume it.
Almond milk has a slightly sweet taste. You can taste the natural almond flavor but it is very mild. When my husband used it in his smoothies and cereal, the taste was not affected at all.
I prefer the oaty sweetness of oat milk. The flavor did not alter the food we combined it with. We even made cheese dip and biscuits with oat milk and the end result was just as delicious.
My husband enjoys both kinds of milk but the winner for me is oat milk. The deciding factor was how it tasted in my coffee. The natural sweetness of the oats with a thicker consistency has made me never look back a regular milk.
You give almond milk and oat milk a try and see for yourself which of these delicious, plant-based kinds of milk is right for you and your family. You can’t go wrong with either one.
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