Cow's Milk or Plant Milks - What is Best for Children?

The Rise of Dairy-Free Alternatives

Veganism has gained in popularity in recent years and more of us are adopting a plant-based diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. Like the original proponents of modern-day veganism, some consumers avoid animal products like meat, dairy, eggs and honey for ethical reasons.

Some people have turned to veganism in order to reduce their environmental footprint. It is estimated that between 10-15% of all global greenhouse gas emissions are the result of livestock farming, and unsurprisingly people are reconsidering their diet as a means of helping the planet. Concerns about intensive farming practices and, more specifically, the use of hormones and antibiotics in the farming industry has also driven many towards a plant-based diet. Allergies and intolerances are also a major reason for making the switch.

Nowhere is this trend seen more starkly than in the refrigerated aisles of supermarkets where consumers can select from an enormous range of plant-based milks, from almond, to soy, to oat to pea – the choice is incredible!

But with all this choice can come a little bewilderment. We all want our children to eat a balanced diet, rich in the vitamins and minerals essential for their growth and healthy development but the question is, what is the nutritional value of dairy and plant-based milks?

The Nutritional Benefits of Cow's Milk

Cow’s milk has long been the milk of choice for children because of its nutritional value. It is packed with calcium, an important mineral for growing children which supports bone development, strong teeth and aids healthy muscle and nerve function. Cow’s milk is high in vitamin A, essential for a healthy immune system, vitamin B2 which helps the body turn food into energy and aids healthy skin, eyes and immune function, vitamin B12 for blood cell production and a healthy nervous system, as well as phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, zinc and your entire daily dose of iodine, essential for thyroid development. Cow’s milk is also high in protein and contains all twenty of the amino acids that the body needs for optimum function, including the nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce and which we must therefore get from our diets.

Full fat cow’s milk is also a good source of fat which is vital for brain health, the production of cells and hormones, as well as being essential for the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. However, the fat in milk is saturated fat which specialists recommend should be limited due to its link to cholesterol and heart disease. It is for this reason that doctors advise that children over three years of age should consume full fat milk in moderation.

However, the production of cow’s milk has a significant environmental impact. Its footprint across many metrics, including land use, water consumption and perhaps most importantly, greenhouse gas emissions is greater compared to plant milks.

There are also concerns about the use of growth hormones and antibiotics in the US food industry, particularly drugs that are banned in other countries. Growth hormones such as synthetic Bovine Somatotropin (rBST) is regularly used in the United States to increase milk production in dairy cattle, yet this drug has been banned by the EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand due to the negative impact on the animals. While the World Health Organization is categorical that meat and dairy products from rBST treated cattle is safe for human consumption, many people are uncomfortable with the use of drugs in the production of their meat and dairy.

Plant-Based Alternatives

Many of the plant milks on our supermarket shelves have been around for centuries and in the case of rice milk, it has been consumed in Asia for millenia! The most popular plant milk in the United States is almond milk, meanwhile in Europe consumers favour milk made from oats.

In Cayman, consumers can choose between milk made from cashews, coconut, rice, pea (split peas, not green peas), peanuts, hemp seed, hazelnut and much more! Each have their own distinct flavour and texture, with soy milk making a great alternative to dairy when baking bread and cakes, and oat milk making a delicious creamy latte. But what of their nutritional content?

Most plant milks sold in supermarkets are fortified with vitamins and minerals to enhance their nutritional content. However, some are unfortified so be sure to check the label before you buy.

Both almond and cashew milks are excellent sources of calcium and often contain as much as 50% more calcium than cow’s milk. They are also a great source of vitamins A and D, and both are low in fat and therefore excellent for older kids. They do however contain very little protein, just an eighth of the content of cow’s milk.

Soy milk and pea protein milk have quite similar nutritional profiles, both containing equivalent amounts of protein to cow’s milk and crucially containing all nine of the essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce. They also have the benefit of being low in fat and are both great sources of calcium, vitamins A and D, as well as potassium and phosphorous.

Europe’s favourite plant milk, oat milk, contains low levels of protein, but does contain around half the fat of cow’s milk and is also a good source of calcium, vitamins A and vitamins D, potassium and phosphorus.

Coconut milk contains no protein at all and half the fat of cow’s milk but is a good source of calcium and vitamins A and D.

In order to improve their flavour, texture and stability (otherwise known as shelf life) additives are added to most plant milks. Most contain stabilisers and thickeners such as gellan gum, guar gum and xanthan gum, and emulsifiers such as sunflower lecithin. While not harmful, these artificial additives have no nutritional value. There is however a growing body of research that links artificial additives to childhood behavioural disorders and other adverse health outcomes.

Plant milks are not without their environmental and social detractors. Almonds are notorious for their water consumption, requiring 371 litres of fresh water to make just one litre of almond milk! In addition, large-scale almond production in California, with its use of pesticides, is having a devastating impact on bee colonies, killing millions of bees annually. The global demand for coconut milk is driving deforestation in the developing world in order to make way for coconut palms, leading to a loss of biodiversity and driving climate change. The coconut milk industry loses more points for the treatment of its workers, many of whom are working in extremely poor conditions and earning less than a dollar a day.

The Verdict?

Cow’s milk is a highly nutritious source of protein, vitamins and minerals and great for young children. According to Dr Sara Watkin, Paediatrician at Optimal Healthcare, cow’s milk “should be a child’s milk of choice unless the child is being brought up as vegan or has an underlying cow’s milk protein or lactose intolerance. Fortified plant milks, especially pea and soy milk, provide similar levels of vitamins and minerals and are especially great for children who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk protein."