Mix it up!

              Both almond-milk and soymilk are becoming increasingly popular and more widely available. So, what’s all the buzz about? I thought the best place to start would be with a comparison table of the main nutrients from the nutrient label would be helpful.

	Skim Milk	Original Soymilk	Vanilla Soymilk	Original Almond Milk	Vanilla Almond Milk	Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
Calories	90	90	100	60	90	120
Total Fat	0	3.5g	3.5g	2.5g	2.5g	3g
Sodium	130mg	120mg	95mg	150mg	150mg	195mg
Carbohydrate	13g	8g	11g	8g	16g	23g
Protein	8g	6g	6g	1g	1g	1g
Calcium	30%	45%	45%	45%	45%	45%
Vitamin D	25%	30%	30%	25%	25%	25%

                Seeing everything right next to each other can really help to highlight spots of significant differences. First things first, the Calories generally speaking are lower in plant-based milks as compared to their cow’s milk counter parts. Secondly, as we look at fat content it is seen that all of these products do contain fat. The difference to note is that, upon closer inspection of the labels, these plant-based milks are higher proportions of unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are better for our bodies.

                SCIENCE SIDEBAR: Fats or fatty acids are chains of carbons that have hydrogen atoms bonded to them.  In saturated fats every single spot that can have a hydrogen atom has one. In an unsaturated fat a double bond is formed between two carbons and therefore two hydrogen atoms are unbound causing the fatty acid to become bent. Here is a picture to help (sorry for the elementary drawing, but I am a visual person so I hope this help you too)!

So what this means for our diets is this… Saturated fats can pile up more closely together and therefore can lead to heart problems. The bends in unsaturated fats prevent them from stacking so closely together and are better for our cardiovascular system as they clog up our arteries less.

                After fat comes the carbohydrate content. Just as the chocolate cow’s milk had higher carbohydrates the flavored milks will have higher carbohydrates. Protein is a place where significant difference can be noted. Soymilk still serves as a fairly good source of protein with 6g/ serving, but almond milk provides only 1 gram of protein/serving. This is a very important thing to note. If you are considering replacing cows milk with almond milk you are going to be having significantly less protein depending on how much milk you drink. This low protein content however, can be advantageous in some situations (for example renal patients needing low protein/low phosphorus diets). Finally the two most well known nutrients in milk…Calcium and Vitamin D. Both soymilk and almond milk contain 15% more calcium than cow’s milk! Soymilk contains 5% more vitamin D than cow’s milk and almond milk contains the same amount of vitamin D as cow’s milk. Here are all the labels for you to further compare- If you click on the images you can see them in a larger size.

Original Almond Milk

Dark Chocolate Almond Milk

Vanilla Almond Milk

Vanilla Soymilk

Original Soymilk

            
           Aside from comparing the nutrition facts of these products I can't help but go into a little bit of research based evidence for the different reasons someone may or may not want to drink soymilk. I am currently taking a supplements class and soy was a big topic of conversation in the cancer lecture. From hearing lectures about this topic and seeing the research first hand I believe that drinking soy milk will not put you at an increased risk for developing cancer unless you have a strong history of hormonal cancers in your family. Research has shown that the consumption of soy early in life can even decrease the risk of developing breast cancer. Another plus of  soymilk is that it can also help to lower cholesterol. 

So go out, experiment with new varieties of milk! Maybe you will like the taste or just enjoy changing it up for a bit. I love to use vanilla soy milk when making smoothies it provides a little extra flavor as well as an extra boost of calcium and vitamin D!

Here We Go!

To begin comparing products I thought the best place to start would be with the staples that many families keep in their homes at all times. Things like milk, butter, sugar, eggs, and more. I feel this is a great place to start because these are the things that are often used daily in homes. Therefore choosing the most appropriate option can help to have the most impact. 

Before I begin I want to put a little disclaimer about the nutrition facts.  Nutrition facts will vary from brand to brand, but I will always try to provide information that is true across the majority of brands. Hopefully, by reading this blog you can start to see some of these variations to make the best decisions for you. So without further hesitation let’s get started!

Milk is where I decided to begin. I feel like there are many myths about milk and also there are so many new “versions” of milk coming out it can easily become confusing. Lets start with the basic- cows milk. There is skim, 1%, 2%, and whole options. The main difference in these milks is their fat content; the higher the percentage the higher the fat content, with whole milk having the highest amount. As the fat content increases the amount of Calories will increase.

SCIENCE SIDEBAR:  1 gram of fat = 9 calories

                                           1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

                                           1 gram of protein = 4 calories.

*Fat is the most calorie dense macronutrient. This is why a change in fat content 

can make such a big difference in the Calories of foods we eat!

The higher percentage milks also have more saturated fat and cholesterol than the lower percentages.

              Most other nutrients provided in milk are similar in all percentages. All percentages are an equally good source of protein, 8grams, and have similar amounts of sodium and carbohydrate. All percentages provide the same amount of vitamin’s A, C, and D as well as iron with the exception of the vitamin A content in whole milk (6% rather than 10%  as in skim, 1%, and 2%). Myth number 1 debunked- whole milk does not contain more nutrients than the other percentages. By looking at the pictures I have taken you can compare the labels yourself. What other differences do you note? What are your nutritional goals and what is the best option for you? 

Fat free milk is a great everyday option for those looking to cut down on Calories or fat in their diet!
And remember you won't be missing out on other nutrients higher fat milks contain!

Both 2% and 1% milk are good options for people trying to change to fat free milk, but are use to the taste of whole milk or vice-versa. 

Whole milk is a good option for children under 2 and for those who need to gain weight
or have trouble eating enough to maintain their weight! Extra fat = extra Calories!

            Now for chocolate milk…“Low-fat” (1%) Chocolate milk has the same amount of fat as 1% milk and the same amount of Calories as whole milk. The main difference is that is has more carbohydrate. Chocolate milk comes in a variety of fat contents just like white milk. Here is the low-fat option that  used for my comparison. 

Chocolate milk serves as a great workout recovery drink
as it has a good carbohydrate to protein ratio!

         With all of the varieties of cows milk covered, what about almond-milk and soymilk? Vanilla, original, dark chocolate, oh my! That will be the topic of tomorrow's blog!

"Reduced Sodium"

              As a future dietitian I think one of the most important things is to know FOOD. (So… I guess it’s a good thing I can get lost in the grocery store for hours at a time even when I really only have a few minutes.) I love everything about going to the grocery. I love exploring the isles and finding new products or old favorites. Looking at all the food inspires me to come up with new meal and snack ideas.

I also can’t resist looking at the nutrition labels. I find it interesting to compare different brands and even more interesting to investigate claims on the front of the products. For example, what exactly does "reduced sodium" mean? Reduced sodium compared to what? “ 25 % Less Sugar”! 25% less than what? "good source of fiber"? Whats the definition of a good source of fiber? Maybe it’s the college student or the future dietitian in me, but I can’t seem to stop asking myself these questions. And each time I ask myself one of these questions I try to find the answer.

              Through this blog I hope to share some of what I have found in hopes that it will help you to choose the best products for you and your family!