Fortified soymilk delivers most of the same important nutrients as cow’s milk including calcium, vitamin D and protein, but more. Unlike milk, soymilk has barely any saturated fat, is cholesterol-free, and contains iron and fiber. Compared to other dairy alternative beverages, fortified soymilk is the closest nutritionally to dairy milk.
Like cow’s milk, soymilk is a good source of protein. Soy protein is the only plant protein equivalent to animal protein, meaning it has all the amino acids needed to support normal growth and development.
Recently, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that soymilk is the best alternative for people who do not consume cow’s milk because of allergies, lactose intolerance, or cultural and religious reasons.
The chart below outlines how soymilk compares to other milk alternatives and to cow’s milk:
| Nutrient Content of Various Milk and Milk Alternative Beverages | |||||||
| Bev. (8 oz.) | Cal | Fat (g) | Sat. Fat (g) | Sugar (g) | Protein (g) | Ca. | Vit. D |
| Fortified Soymilk* | 109 | 5 | 0.5 | 6 | 7 | 30% | 30% |
| Fortified Soymilk light* | 73 | 2 | 0.5 | 6 | 6 | 30% | 30% |
| Whole Milk* | 149 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 30% | 30% |
| 2% Reduced Fat Milk* | 122 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 30% | 30% |
| Rice milk† | 110 | 2.5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 30% | 25% |
| Almond milk† | 70 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 30% | 25% |
| Hemp milk† | 100 | 6 | 0.5 | 6 | 2 | 40% | 20% |
| Coconut milk† | 80 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 10% | 30% |
* Data collected from the USDA Nutrient Database.
†Data collected from various sources, outside of the USDA Nutrient Database.
