Almond milk or oat milk: which is healthier?

Unsweetened almond milk is the lighter one, at 19 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 48 for oat milk. Almond milk does not replace cow milk for protein: an 8 oz glass gives about 2 percent of the protein in the same glass of cow milk, and oat milk has under 1 g per 3.5 oz.

The table hides how much depends on the maker. Sixteen USDA samples of unsweetened oat milk ran from 48 to 300 mg of calcium per 3.5 oz, and at least one had no B12. In a lab digestion model, plant drinks released under 10 percent of their calcium, and the authors blamed the poorly soluble calcium salt used to fortify them.

Our cholesterol trial is on oat milk. Men with moderately high cholesterol drank 25 fl oz (0.75 liters) a day for 5 weeks, and total and LDL cholesterol fell 6 percent against a control drink. A review of 14 trials of plant drinks found none on almond.

Pick by taste and read the label for calcium, vitamin D and B12. Almonds are a tree nut, and US labels must name them. For a young child, ask a pediatrician first. One girl kept for over 2 years on a diet mainly of oat milk developed vitamin A deficiency.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level A The network meta-analysis that compared plant drinks against cow milk could not include almond at all, because trials of it do not exist. Adv Nutr, 2026
2. Level E A glass of almond milk carries about a fiftieth of the protein of a glass of cow milk, and pediatric societies treat that as a hazard for small children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 2020
3. Level D Plant drinks came last of twenty-five plant foods for how much of their calcium a digestion model could release, and the reason is the calcium salt they are fortified with. Food Res Int, 2024
4. Level E According to the US FDA, tree nuts are a major food allergen and labels must name the type of nut, such as almonds. US FDA, Food Allergies (page updated 03/11/2026)
5. Level B Drinking 25 fl oz (0.75 liters) of oat milk a day for 5 weeks lowered total cholesterol by 6% and LDL cholesterol by 6% in men with moderate hypercholesterolemia, against a rice milk control. Ann Nutr Metab, 1999
6. Level D A 5-year-old girl in a high-income country lost her sight permanently to vitamin A deficiency after more than 2 years on a diet limited mainly to oat milk. Pediatrics, 2018
7. Level E Sixteen unsweetened oat milks analyzed by USDA differ more than sixfold in calcium (48 to 300 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)), and at least one carries no vitamin B12 at all (0 to 0.89 ug), so the carton decides what you get, not the category. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Almond milk: almost everything in it was added
• Oat milk: one real cholesterol trial, and a carton that decides the rest

What the studies say

• Is almond milk good for weight loss? Fewer calories, and no trial on weight

Rankings and guides

• Fiber: what it does and how much you need
• Sodium: what it does and how much you need
• Which foods are highest in potassium?
• Almond milk: full nutrition facts
• Oat milk: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Almond milk vs soy milk

• Almond milk: USDA FoodData Central, Almond milk, unsweetened, plain, refrigerated, FDC ID 2257045 · full profile · all forms of almond milk
• Oat milk: USDA FoodData Central, Oat milk, unsweetened, plain, refrigerated, FDC ID 2257046 · full profile · all forms of oat milk

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.