Almond milk vs soy milk: calories compared

For a stand-in for cow milk, the protein answer is soy. Per 3.5 oz (100 g), unsweetened soy milk has 3.5 g of protein, close to the 3.4 g in 2% cow milk, against 0.66 g in unsweetened almond milk. Almond milk has half the calories, 19 against 38.

A 2026 meta-analysis of 14 trials against cow milk included soy drink and no almond drink. In adults, replacing 17 fl oz (500 mL) of cow milk a day with soy drink may lower LDL cholesterol by about 18 mg/dL (0.47 mmol/L), at low certainty. In 18 trials of soy supplementation, thyroid hormones did not change and TSH rose only very modestly.

For a child, ask a pediatrician before either replaces milk. Observationally, children drinking plant milk were shorter and had lower vitamin D than cow milk drinkers. Both list calcium (158 and 101 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)), but in a digestion model plant drinks fortified with tricalcium phosphate released under 10% of it. UK adults and children who drank only milk alternatives, mostly unfortified then, were in the iodine deficient range.

Pick unsweetened (a cup of sweetened almond milk has 9.7 g of sugar) and check the label for added calcium and iodine. Skip almond milk with a tree nut allergy and soy milk with a soy allergy.

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 A A 2026 network meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials in 543 adults found that replacing 17 fl oz (500 mL) a day of cow milk with soy drink may lower LDL cholesterol by 18 mg/dL (0.47 mmol/L), with low certainty. Adv Nutr, 2026
3. Level A A meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials found that soy did not change thyroid hormones and raised TSH only very modestly, by about 0.25 mIU/L. Sci Rep, 2019
4. Level E USDA survey data list one cup of 2 percent cow milk at 122 calories with 8.2 g of protein, so unsweetened almond milk saves about 85 calories a cup. USDA FNDDS, food code 11112110, Milk, reduced fat (2%) (fdc_id 2705386)
5. Level C A 2024 systematic review of 6 studies in 15,815 children found plant-based milk drinkers had lower BMI but also lower height and vitamin D than cow milk drinkers. J Nutr, 2024
6. 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
7. Level C In the UK national diet survey, people who drank only milk-alternative drinks had a median urinary iodine of 79 micrograms per liter, in the iodine-deficient range, against 132 in cow milk drinkers. Br J Nutr, 2021
8. Level E USDA survey data list one cup of sweetened almond milk at about 73 calories with 9.7 g of sugar, twice the energy of the unsweetened kind. USDA FNDDS, food code 11350000, Almond milk, sweetened (fdc_id 2705407)
9. 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)
10. Level E According to the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some people are allergic to soy, and US labels must declare it. NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Soy (fact sheet, updated April 2025)

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
• Soy milk: half a liter, and the bacteria in between

What the studies say

• Is almond milk good for weight loss? Fewer calories, and no trial on weight
• Is soy milk safe during pregnancy? In food amounts, no sign of harm

Rankings and guides

• Calories: what it does and what the evidence shows
• Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
• Dietary fat: what it does and how much you need
• Almond milk: full nutrition facts
• Soy milk: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Almond milk vs oat milk

• Almond milk: USDA FoodData Central, Almond milk, unsweetened, plain, refrigerated, FDC ID 2257045 · full profile · all forms of almond milk
• Soy milk: USDA FoodData Central, Soy milk, unsweetened, plain, shelf stable, FDC ID 1999630 · full profile · all forms of soy 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.