What milk do you usually drink at home? Dairy milk or plant-based milk? I used to love drinking dairy milk, especially the ones from Hokkaido. I still love the rich flavor and smooth texture. But recently, I switched to drinking oat milk because I learned about the environmental impact of dairy milk. And it’s not good.
You might argue that dairy milk is healthier and contains more natural nutrients (which is true). However, producing dairy milk emits greenhouse gas almost triple that of plant-based milk. According to a study, dairy milk requires more than ten times the land than any plant-based milk. It also uses the most freshwater.
Types of Plant-based milk:
- Oat Milk: Low in protein; Low greenhouse gas emission; Low land usage; Low water usage
- Soy Milk: High in protein; Low greenhouse gas emission; High land usage; Low water usage
- Almond Milk: Low greenhouse gas emission; Low land usage; High water usage
- Rice Milk
- Hazelnut Milk
- Pea Milk
- Hemp Milk
and more…
Like everything else, changing your diet takes time. For one, I definitely can’t imagine myself becoming a full vegetarian within a month. And that’s okay. Because I know that I’m taking small steps to change my diet. Switching to plant-based milk was my first step. I’ve also reduced my consumption of red meat from twice a week to once every two weeks.
You can do it too!
To Conclude
“We are what we eat.” It’s important to nourish your body with nutritious food. But let’s not forget that our consumption habits also affect the environment. Let’s strive for a healthier and more sustainable diet for ourselves and our planet.
Other links:
- Edible Brooklyn: Which Plant-Based Milk Is Best for the Environment?
- BBC News: Climate change: Which vegan milk is best?
- Our World in Data: Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts?
- TedEd: Which type of milk is best for you?