Milk substitute
A beverage or food product used in place of dairy milk, commonly made from plants such as soy, oats, almonds, or rice.
Soy milk: A plant-based beverage made by soaking and grinding soybeans, extracting the liquid, and usually heating it. Its protein content and culinary behavior make it a common dairy-milk replacement.
Barista oat milk: An oat-based beverage formulated to foam and remain stable in hot coffee. Its added fats and stabilizers address the demands of espresso drinks.
Cow's milk: The nutrient-rich liquid produced by the mammary glands of cows and consumed as food. It is the principal reference product that substitutes aim to replace.
Food fortification: The addition of essential vitamins or minerals to foods to improve their nutritional content. It frames how substitutes are adjusted to resemble dairy milk nutritionally.
Oat milk: A plant-based beverage made by processing oats with water and separating the liquid. Its starch-derived body helps it foam and thicken in drinks.
Vegan baking: Baking that uses no animal-derived ingredients, including eggs, butter, and dairy milk. Milk substitutes can provide liquid and contribute browning, tenderness, and flavor.
Lactose-free milk: Dairy milk in which lactose has been broken down or removed to aid digestion by people with lactose intolerance. It preserves dairy ingredients, unlike plant-based substitutes.
Food labeling: The rules and practices for communicating a food's identity, ingredients, nutrition, and claims on its packaging. Naming and nutrition claims shape how consumers compare substitutes with dairy.
Almond milk: A beverage made by blending almonds with water and filtering out much of the solid material. It is a familiar nut-based option, though often low in protein.
Vegan cheese: Cheese-style foods made without dairy, often from nuts, oils, starches, or fermented plant ingredients. Some substitutes serve as ingredients in dairy-free cheese formulations.