Types of Milk: Dairy Milk Types and Plant Beverages Compared With USDA Data

Types of milk on a store shelf range from cow’s milk at four fat levels to goat’s milk and beverages made from soy, almonds, rice, oats or coconut. This guide compares ten milk types from USDA SR Legacy data per cup, with protein, fat, sugars, calcium, vitamin D and potassium and the FDA percent Daily Value, and explains how the FDA milk standard and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans sort them. Our milk guide covers cow’s milk on its own.

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Types of milk in the FDA standard and USDA data

FDA’s standard of identity, 21 CFR 131.110, says “Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.” Milk in final package form for beverage use “shall have been pasteurized or ultrapasteurized,” FDA’s standard says, and contain not less than 8 1/4 percent milk solids not fat and not less than 3 1/4 percent milkfat; the same section lets the fat be adjusted by separating part of it or adding cream, and makes vitamins A and D optional. USDA SR Legacy also has lower-fat entries and names each by fat level: 3.25% milkfat, 2%, 1% and nonfat, which USDA also calls fat free or skim.

The table lists USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries at the first 1-cup portion USDA gives for each (8 fluid ounces for the rice beverage, which has no cup portion), ranked by protein. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values of 78 grams for total fat, 1,300 milligrams for calcium, 20 micrograms for vitamin D and 4,700 milligrams for potassium; protein has no %DV here because the FDA labeling rule bases a protein %DV on an amount corrected for protein quality, and total sugars have no FDA Daily Value.

In USDA data, the four cow’s milk entries list 7.7 to 8.3 grams of protein per cup and differ mainly in fat and calories: about 7.9 grams of fat and 149 calories for the 3.25% entry, sometimes called whole milk, against 0.2 gram and 83 calories for skim milk. USDA lists goat milk at about 8.7 grams of protein, 10.1 grams of fat and 498 milligrams of potassium per cup, the highest values in this table for all three.

The plant beverages split. In USDA data, the unfortified soy entry lists about 7.9 grams of protein per cup, close to the cow’s milk rows, while the unsweetened almond beverage lists 1.0 gram, the rice beverage 0.7 gram and the coconut beverage 0.5 gram. Calcium runs the other way for the fortified entries: USDA lists about 482 milligrams per cup for the almond beverage and 451 milligrams for the fortified coconut beverage, 37% and 35% of the FDA Daily Value. Added nutrients differ from product to product, so the Nutrition Facts label on the carton is the figure for that product.

Milk types and plant beverages in the Dietary Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, from USDA and HHS, define the dairy group as “all fluid, dry, or evaporated milk, including lactose-free and lactose-reduced products and fortified soy beverages,” along with buttermilk, yogurt, kefir and cheese. Fortified soy beverages and soy yogurt, which the Dietary Guidelines say are fortified with calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D, “are included as part of the dairy group because they are similar to milk and yogurt based on nutrient composition and in their use in meals.”

Other plant beverages are grouped differently. The Dietary Guidelines say products sold as milks but made from plants, such as almond, rice, coconut, oat and hemp beverages, “may contain calcium and be consumed as a source of calcium, but they are not included as part of the dairy group because their overall nutritional content is not similar to dairy milk and fortified soy beverages.” USDA SR Legacy shows why the added calcium matters for soy: the entry with added calcium lists about 299 milligrams of calcium per cup and the unfortified entry 61 milligrams.

USDA files the soy beverage with legumes and the almond, rice and coconut beverages with beverages, apart from the dairy entries. SR Legacy has no oat beverage entry, so USDA values for it are not shown. Our single-beverage guides cover soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and cashew milk.

Lactose-free and low-lactose milk

The Dietary Guidelines say “individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products,” and count those products in the dairy group. USDA SR Legacy has no lactose-free milk entry, so no USDA values are shown for it here. FDA’s raw milk page adds that pasteurizing milk does not cause lactose intolerance. See our guides to lactase and foods high in lactose, and the cultured options in yogurt, kefir and buttermilk.

Raw milk in FDA's words

FDA defines raw milk as “milk from cows, sheep, and goats, or any other animal, that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs,” and says it “can carry dangerous germs such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others.” FDA cites CDC data of 202 outbreaks linked to drinking raw milk from 1998 through 2018. FDA also says pasteurization does not reduce milk’s nutritional value, and that milk which has been pasteurized will have the word pasteurized on the label.

• Allergens: FDA lists milk first among the nine major food allergens, and says both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
• Nutrients: see foods high in calcium and vitamin D foods for USDA rankings beyond milk.
• In tea: the sibling guide to types of tea lists USDA caffeine values per cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

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