Milk alternatives: Which are good for both you and the planet?

Milks made from peas, nuts and more are taking supermarket shelves by storm. Here’s what you should be drinking if you care about your health and the environment

milk cartons — Sales of alternative milks are rapidly growing in the UK and US

By Chelsea Whyte

MOVE over cows, there’s a new milk in town. There are many, actually. The old alternatives – soy, rice and coconut milk – are now joined on grocery shelves by alt-milks made from almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, oats, peas, flax, hemp – the list goes on and on. You can even buy milk made from potatoes or bananas.

Since 2012, non-dairy milk sales in the US have risen 61 per cent, according to market research by Mintel. There is a similar trend in …