Should You Start Drinking a Mixed Nut Milk?

Whether folks are completely ditching their omnivorous ways or just incorporating more dairy-free alternatives into their diet, plant-based milk sales have been skyrocketing. Research from Comax Flavors reveals that 36 percent of surveyed shoppers choose plant-based milk, citing nutritional benefits as the main motive.

But with so many new hybrid dairy-free milks taking over supermarket shelves, such as So Delicious' Almondmilk With Cashew and Trader Joe's multi-nut blend, we couldn't help but wonder whether these new mixed nut milks are better than almond milk or even the traditional dairy milk. To help settle the debate, we consulted Dr. Darria Long Gillespie, MD, instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com, author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table, and spokesperson for Almond Breeze.

What's the difference between a multi-nut milk and a single-nut milk?

"Not all nut milks, whether single or multi-types are the same," Taub-Dix tells us. "Almond Breeze's Almond Coconut blend provides a similar nutrient-rich profile as their almond milk along with a distinctive coconut flavor. They do provide multi-nut milks that are enriched."

Gillespie adds that the main difference between a single nut and mixed nut milk is taste. Many mixed nut beverages have a nuttier and creamier flavor profile when compared to other plant-based picks.

Are mixed nut milks worth purchasing?

"If you're someone who finds that you have difficulty digesting dairy, or want to try going dairy-free for health, then nut-based milks are a great alternative," Gillespie tells us. "Just opt for versions that are unsweetened, so you're not getting an extra helping of sweetener or sugar along with it." Whether you decide to go with regular almond milk or put a mixed nut milk to the test, make sure you're choosing cartons that are enriched with nutrients found in dairy milk (such as calcium and vitamin D) for a balanced beverage.

Below, you'll find three mixed nut milks worth buying.

Silk Protein Nutmilk With Almond and Cashew

Silk protein nut milk

per cup: 130 calories, 8 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 220 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 10 g protein; 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 8% DV iron

This mixed nut milk combines almonds and cashews, but also gets some fat from high oleic sunflower oil. This nut milk is most similar to dairy milk in its nutritional profile, but gets its hefty protein content from pea protein rather than dairy-based casein and whey.

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Cashew Unsweetened Original

Almond Breeze creamy almond cashew milk

per cup: 25 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein; 10% DV vitamin A; 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 50% DV vitamin E, 4% DV iron

In addition to its stellar vitamin profile, including skin-healing vitamin E and bone-protecting vitamin D, this plant-based milk also boasts trace amounts of phosphorous, magnesium, copper, and manganese.

Silk Omega-3 ALA Almond & Cashewmilk

Silk omega 3 nut milk

per cup: 45 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 160 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 3 g sugar), <1 g protein; 10% DV vitamin A, 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 20% DV vitamin E, 2% DV iron

While this pick doesn't contain any fiber or protein, it boasts 45 percent of your daily recommended amount of bone-building calcium as well as heart-healthy omega-3 fats from cold-pressed flax oil.