A runners guide to the Nordic diet.
Best soya milk to replace traditional dairy
Vegan, or thinking of going dairy-free? We’ve looked at the nutritional data to see which are the best milk alternatives for runners
What type of milk is best for runners?
We all know there are many reasons why people may prefer to opt for a plant-based milk alternative - whether it's from ethical, environmental or health concerns. But when it actually comes to running and doing the best you can for your performance and recovery, can any of the vegan alternatives really compete with traditional dairy?
The best high-carb foods for runners (@dietitianro) has looked at four of the most popular dairy-free, vegan milks, plus the benefits of each when it comes to recovery:“Cow’s milk is packed with calcium, protein, fat, B vitamins, iodine and phosphorus, making it a hard act to follow. Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient that has several roles to play, including making red blood cells and supporting the nervous system — and is only naturally found in animal foods. However, the good news is you can find vitamin B12 in many of these dairy-free alternatives, which will have been added through a process called fortification. Interestingly, you might think organic milk is the way to go, but these types of drink can not be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, so actually can have a relatively poor nutritional profile.”
Whether you’re vegan or thinking of going dairy-free, we’ve looked at the nutritional data to see which are the best milk alternatives for runners.
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Soy milk
Soy is a complete protein, making it the most nutrient-dense of the plant-based milks. With approximately 3.3g of high quality protein per 100ml, it’s comparable to dairy milk in this respect. It’s also a good source of vitamin B2, which helps convert food into energy. Choose unsweetened versions for maximum nutritional benefit.
Oat milk
Oat milk is a great choice for post-run recovery because of its carb, fibre and protein content. A 200ml glass provides approximately 10% of your daily fibre target, which is comparable to a serving of vegetables. It has less protein than cow’s milk but beats both nut and coconut milk hands down, and contains a similar number of calories to semi-skimmed milk.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk can be higher in calories than other milk alternatives, with brands varying from 20-53 calories per 100ml. And while it is lacking in protein, most well-known brands fortify coconut milk with vitamin D, B2, B12 and calcium.
Almond milk
Non-dairy milks made from nuts are often a poor nutritional alternative unless they’re fortified with protein, calcium and vitamin D. Luckily most are, and if you want to make it even healthier, avoid the sweetened versions, which hide extra sugar. If you’re looking for a low calorie choice, this is where you’ll find it, with the leading unsweetened variety containing just 13 calories per 100ml. Here you’ll also get the added benefit of vitamin E, which will help bolster the immune system during those midwinter runs.
How we test
Our panel put 23 dairy-free milks to the test, to see which were the tastiest alone, in hot drinks and over breakfast. From there we narrowed it down to include only the best fortified versions for optimum nutrition.
With a strong coconutty flavour and natural sweetness, this longlife milk is great to have on standby. It contains vitamins B12 and D; and is a source of calcium. Our panel raved about the fruity scent and found it impressively smooth. Alpro is also a B-corp-certified brand, meaning it puts social and environmental performance above profit — which may feel in-line with your reasons for ditching cow’s milk.
Health & Injuries coffee can be an opportunity for nutrition. This one is designed for frothy serves like cappuccinos, and is enriched with vitamins and minerals alongside an oaty base (which as we know is great for carb, fibre and protein intake). The Swedish brand cares about the environment too, and alongside nutritional info, you’ll also find the product’s climate footprint on the label (in this case, 0.44kg CO2e per kg).
Although not fortified with vitamins and minerals, this organic soya milk does include a type of calcium-rich seaweed (don’t worry, we promise you can’t taste it). It gets its sweetness from a touch of apple juice, and tasted great over our breakfast.
Despite containing nothing more than coconut milk, spring water and rice — flavour-wise Innocent has created a very neutral-tasting drink that would work well in tea, curries and porridge. Calcium-rich seaweed pops up again here for extra nutritional support, and for an added feel-good factor, the brand gives back 10% of profits to charity.
We were impressed by Plenish’s total transparency of ingredients — containing nothing more than organic almonds, filtered water and sea salt. The generous percentage of nuts (6%), makes this a good source of vitamin E, which helps to prevent oxidative stress. We found it wasn’t quite as smooth as some other dairy-free alternatives, so for that reason we’d recommend whizzing up with other smoothie ingredients.
A runners guide to the Nordic diet 1L
Although not certified organic, Bonsoy is made with organic soy beans, meaning this formula isn’t fortified with added vitamins and minerals. That said, it does contain a couple of other interesting ingredients worth explaining. First up is hato mugi, also known as “Jobs Tears”, which is part of the grass family. It’s used in traditional Chinese medicine, as it’s thought to reduce inflammation, swelling and congestion. It’s sweetened with neutral-tasting tapioca syrup, which doesn't spike blood sugar levels as much as regular sugar.
Koko’s light, refreshing taste impressed our testers, who thought the coconut flavour was subtle enough to replace cow's milk — making it really versatile. Added calcium and vitamins D2 and B12 up the health benefits, too.
Proving you needn’t fork out for the healthiest brands, Asda’s budget buy is enriched with vitamin E, B12 and D2 — and all for less than one pound a litre. It’s unsweetened but due to the strong coconutty flavour, it probably won’t convince anyone it’s cow’s milk — so save for smoothies and cereal.
Providing a natural oaty flavour, Aldi’s unsweetened, enriched milk had a similar thickness to full-fat milk and a natural flavour that we enjoyed over granola. Watch out though, it wasn’t so impressive in tea, but if coffee is on the cards, you’ll be pleased to know it foams well.
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