Nutrition Hotline
QUESTION: I recently sampled a plant milk made from peas. How does pea milk compare to other plant milks and cow's milk in terms of nutrition?
R.A. via email
ANSWER: Several companies have begun marketing plant milks based on pea protein. These products were developed, in part, as an alternative for consumers who have allergies or sensitivities to other milks that are based on soy or nuts. The three brands of pea milk that we looked at (Ripple Pea Milk, Veggemo Veggie Milk, and Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein Milk) all stated that they were vegan. Some nut milks have pea protein added to boost their protein content. We will take a look at these products in the future.
From a nutrition standpoint, unsweetened pea milks were similar or slightly lower in calories than unsweetened soymilk or non-fat cow's milk. An 8-ounce cup of unsweetened pea milk had 60 (Veggemo) to 90 (Bolthouse Farms) calories. Sweetened versions range from 90 to 160 calories in 8 ounces. Pea milks were generally comparable to soy milk or cow's milk in terms of protein with 6-10 grams of protein in 8 ounces. The amino acid content of products from the two companies that provided information (Ripple and Veggemo) was similar to soymilk. All products had more protein than almond milk, rice milk, or coconut milk.
Veggemo is fortified with calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B12, and zinc. Ripple is fortified with calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, potassium, and DHA. It does not supply vitamin B12. Bolthouse Farms' product is fortified with calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin B12. All three products have more calcium, vitamin D, and iron in 8 ounces than does cow's milk.
Pea milks come in a variety of flavors including original, vanilla, unsweetened, unsweetened vanilla, and chocolate. Some can be found refrigerated in the dairy case while others are shelf stable. In addition to pea protein, ingredients include tapioca starch, potato starch, sunflower oil, and gellan gum (Veggemo); sunflower oil, guar gum, and gellan gum (Ripple); and sunflower oil, gellan gum, and carob bean gum (Bolthouse Farms). Sweetened products are sweetened with organic cane sugar (Veggemo and Ripple) or cane sugar (Bolthouse Farms).
These products should never be used to replace infant formulas and are not suitable for use as a primary beverage for children under a year of age.
Information Sources
