Have you ever wondered if the plant-based milk you’re drinking is good for you? Have you ever worried that you don’t know if the unfamiliar ingredients in it pose a health risk? This article provides information on the milk industry, answers these questions, and empowers you to buy plant-based milk with confidence.

The U.S. government provides the failing U.S. dairy industry with massive annual subsidies to keep it afloat. In 2015, handouts from Congress accounted for 73% of income for the dairy industry–a staggering $22 billion of our tax dollars squandered to prop up these cruel factories. It’s ironic that the same politicians who bemoan big government when it interferes with their donors’ interests don’t hesitate to pony up billions of dollars of our money to artificially cradle the U.S. dairy industry.

People who confine, exploit and abuse cows for profit, which shouldn’t even be legal, should be required to manage their company like anyone else.  Every business owner wishes they could take unlimited risks and fall back on a bailout if they fail. We don’t need milk from a cow to survive. Thus, the government should stop meddling and allow the free market to decide winners and losers.

In recent years, interest in plant-based milk has skyrocketed while the demand for dairy products has decreased. The dairy industry hasn’t been profitable for the past 10 years! Amazingly, plant-based milks are succeeding despite the government’s best efforts to sustain the dairy industry.

Drinking any plant-based milk is better than drinking milk from a cow because nuts, rice, and oats don’t feel pain. If you’ve already decided to align your actions with your values, and your goal is to learn more about your choices, here are a few tips if you want to buy the healthiest plant-based milk:

1) Always buy unsweetened. The sweetened plant-based milks contain ingredients such as processed sugar. Add natural sweeteners to your plant-based milk instead, e.g., bananas and blueberries in a smoothie, or goji berries and mulberries in cereal.
2) Avoid plant-based milks with gums, emulsifiers, thickeners, or refined sugars.
3) If you choose the healthiest options, they may not be fortified with calcium, B-12, and other nutrients. As a result, you may consider taking a vitamin supplement. A simple blood test will reveal if you need to fortify your diet.

Of course, the healthiest plant-based milk is the one you make at home with almonds, water, vanilla extract, and a date (the fruit, not a partner). If you don’t have the time or inclination, here’s a list of the most popular plant-based milks and EWG’s scorecard for each. The lower the score, the healthier the plant-based milk. You can click on each link to read the EWG report.

Pacific Non-Dairy Unsweetened Almond (EWG Score: 4.0)

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (EWG Score: 4.0)

Califia Farms Almond Milk, Unsweetened (EWG Score: 4.0)

Silk Almondmilk, Original (EWG Score: 4.0)

Ripple Nutritious Pea Milk, Unsweetened Original (EWG Score: 3.5)

365 Almond Milk, Unsweetened (EWG Score: 3.5)

So Delicious Dairy-Free, Unsweetened (EWG Score: 3.5)

Ripple Nutritious Pea Milk, Unsweetened(EWG Score: 3.5)

Good Karma Flax Milk, Unsweetened (EWG Score: 2.8)

Malk Pure Almond Malk, Unsweetened (EWG Score: 2.2)

Three Trees Organic True Unsweetened Almond Milk (EWG Score: 1.5)

Pacific Organic Unsweetened Soy Non-Dairy Beverage (EWG Score: 1.3)