How does SOW Chia Milk stack up to other plant-based milks?

Leigh-Anne Wooten MS, RDN/LDN, FAND

Registered Dietitian

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with SOW’s Chia Milk but you may be wondering, how does it stack up against all the other plant-based milk options? 

With so many choices in the dairy cooler these days, from the old school milks like soy, rice, and almond to the newer kids on the block think coconut, oat, hemp, and chia, the sheer number of possibilities can be overwhelming and leave you with more questions than answers.  Getting lost in the marketing claims on packaging… Pulling out the calculator to compare nutrition facts… Why does choosing the right milk have to be so difficult?!  Well, it doesn’t and we’re here to help you sift through all the noise. 

First, let’s bust a popular myth.  Plant-based milks do not need to serve as a nutritional equivalent to traditional cow’s milk as long as the rest of your dietary pattern is varied and nutrient dense.  For example, you don’t have to eat an orange every day to get your vitamin C.  You can also eat broccoli, strawberries, and peppers. Make sense? That being said, little ones (especially those two and under) have different nutrient needs, so speak to your physician or registered dietitian before switching them to a plant-based milk.

Now, let’s compare some of the most popular plant-based milk options on the shelves today and see how SOW’s Unsweetened Chia Milk compares.  If you like to geek out to charts and numbers, you’re going to love this!

 

Nutrition information derived from USDA nutrient database.  Water usage data found  here. Chia water usage data provided by Benexia®.   *Indicates data not available

If charts aren’t your thing, here are the highlights.  SOW’s Unsweetened Chia Milk:

• Is lowest in calories
• Is an excellent source of omega-3 ALA, the healthy fat. It’sestimated that men should get about 1600mg and women should get about 1100mg of ALA per day. 1 serving of chia milk provides well over 50%.
• Has no added sugar
• Has more fiber than any other option (tied only with oat milk)
• Is fortified with calcium (more than 35% of your daily needs)
• Is allergen Friendly, free of the top 9 allergens
• Is sustainably sourced and requires the least amount of water to be grown of all the plant milks. In fact, chia farming only requires natural rainwater, no irrigation is needed!  Further, SOW embraces a wide variety of regenerative agriculture techniques in their chia fields to reduce and minimize its carbon footprint.  Click here to learn more!)

Not on the chart but equally important is taste, and chia milk IS delicious.  It’s very mild with just a hint of nuttiness.  Of course, you can drink it alone, but you can also enjoy it in one of these tasty beverages and be confident that you’re making a healthy choice both for you and the planet.