If you’re anything like me and obsess over reading the nutrition facts of the most popular plant-based milk options in the supermarket, you’ve come to the right article.
Today, we’ll take a close look at the two most highly sought-after alternatives oat milk and almond milk, and why one might be a better fit for your needs than the other.
According to a study, lactose intolerance affects 75% of the world, so it’s no surprise, plant-based milk options are in high demand.
With almond milk being the best seller in the category, does oat milk have a shot at dethroning the king of non-dairy milk options?
Let’s start with a nutritional comparison to better understand how the values stack up against each other:
(Image: EatThisNotThat)
I tried to bring specific examples from the most popular brands that you can find on almost every supermarket in the country as opposed to using generic values that aren’t very relevant in real life.
Glancing over the chart, it’s pretty apparent that oat milk contains twice as many calories, fat, and carbs as almond milk, but it does shine when it comes to its protein and fiber content.
Something worth mentioning is the fact that alternative dairy products are usually fortified, meaning they have extra nutrients added to them, such as Vitamin D, B12, Calcium.
In this regard, both almond and oat milk is great to get a nutrition boost, especially now that we’re neck-deep into the fall season and our immune system is doing its best to keep the unwanted viruses out.
Here are some deciding factors to make the selection easier:
Pros of oat milk:
Oat milk can be gluten-free and usually doesn’t contain added sugar (look for the certified gluten-free badge and info about sugar content on the packaging). 
Additionally, it’s the closest you can get to cow milk consistency naturally, that’s why it's widely used among baristas to make plant-based “froth”. It's whole grain, packed with fiber, protein and contains several other nutrients, especially when it’s fortified.
Drinking one cup of oat milk can cover 20% of your recommended daily vitamin D intake.
Cons of oat milk:
Unfortunately, at the expense of great consistency and natural sweetness comes the high fat, carb, sugar content, so if you’re trying to incorporate a low-calorie plant-based drink into your diet, better options exist.
It might be important to note producing oat milk might be more sustainable than almond milk, requiring significantly less water, but on the downside, the land impact might be higher.
Other than this, there aren’t major disadvantages to drinking oat milk.
Pros of almond milk:
Almond milk wins by a landslide when it comes to calories, fat, and carbs, making it an obvious winner if you’re trying to get rid of those stubborn love handles. It also comes unsweetened, which makes it a completely sugar-free, non-dairy milk option.
We use almond milk as a liquid base for Smoothie-N-Go as well, as it pairs well with our low-calorie smoothies and we found it has a more pleasant taste overall.
Almond milk is also rich in Vitamin E, which lowers the risk for heart diseases and one cup contains roughly 28% of your recommended daily calcium intake.
Cons of almond milk:
As opposed to oat milk, almond milk contains less fiber and protein. Another downside is that manufacturers tend to sweeten almond milk quite often, so just be mindful about which brand you opt for.
According to nutritionists, some may prefer oat milk over almond milk because of sustainability. In case you’re not aware, producing just 1 liter of pure almond milk requires a whopping 1610 gallons of water, which unarguably raises some eyebrows.
The verdict:
Declaring a clear winner would be tough as we tend to all have different preferences. A general rule of thumb is that you want to choose one which you’ll actually drink and not let spoil in the fridge.
They are very similar in vitamin and nutrient content, the main difference is, almond milk might just protect your waistline slightly better than oat milk. Go for a taste test, pick the unsweetened ones and choose based on what your taste buds suggest. And if you still find the taste bland, spicing things up with a pack of Smoothie-N-Go always does the trick.