Plant-Based Milk: Dairy-Free Beverages Compared With USDA Data

Plant-based milk is a beverage made from a plant material and water rather than from the milk of an animal. FDA’s draft labeling guidance says these beverages are made from plant materials such as tree nuts, legumes, seeds or grains, and that “water is generally the primary ingredient in these products.” This guide to dairy-free milk compares soy, almond, rice and coconut beverages with 2% cow’s milk using USDA SR Legacy values per cup, shows how sweetened and unsweetened versions differ, and explains how FDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans classify non-dairy milk. Our guide to types of milk covers the dairy side.

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What FDA means by plant-based milk

FDA’s draft guidance, “Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements,” was issued in February 2023 and is marked as a draft not for implementation. It says “plant-based milk alternatives are not milk; they are made from plant materials rather than the lacteal secretion of cows,” and that “FDA has not established compositional requirements for plant-based milk alternatives.” In the guidance’s words, they are made from plant materials “such as tree nuts (e.g., almond, walnuts, macadamia), legumes (e.g., soybean), seeds (e.g., hemp, flax), or grains (e.g., rice, oat).”

The same FDA document says the range on the market “has also greatly expanded from soy, rice, and almond to include cashew, coconut, flaxseed, hazelnut, hemp seed, macadamia nut, oat, pea, peanut, pecan, quinoa, and walnut-based” products. On names, FDA says some names that pair the word milk with the plant source, such as the soy and almond names, are established by common usage, and that names such as “soy beverage” and “almond beverage” also appear to be in common usage. That is why a carton may say beverage, drink or milk for the same kind of product.

Plant-based milk in USDA data

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, with 2% cow’s milk as the dairy reference row. 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 two soy entries list 6.3 to 6.9 grams of protein per cup, closer to the 8.1 grams of the 2% cow’s milk row than any other plant beverage in the table. In USDA data, the almond entries list 1.0 gram, the rice beverage 0.7 gram and the coconut beverage 0.5 gram. Calories run from 39 for unsweetened almond beverage to 113 for the rice beverage in USDA data.

Calcium and the vitamin D in these rows come from added nutrients, as the USDA entry names show: USDA lists about 482 milligrams of calcium per cup for the unsweetened almond entry and 451 milligrams for the sweetened coconut beverage, 37% and 35% of the FDA Daily Value. Potassium is where the plant rows sit lowest in USDA data, from 46 milligrams per cup for the coconut beverage to 296 milligrams for the original soy entry, against 342 milligrams for 2% cow’s milk. Added nutrients differ between products, so the Nutrition Facts label on the carton is the figure for that product.

Sweetened and unsweetened dairy-free milk

FDA’s draft guidance notes that plant-based alternatives “come in unsweetened and sweetened versions,” and the Dietary Guidelines say that “some forms have added sugars.” USDA SR Legacy shows the gap within one plant: about 2.1 grams of total sugars per cup for the unsweetened almond entry against 15.0 grams for the sweetened vanilla entry, and 1.0 gram for the unsweetened soy entry against 8.9 grams for original and vanilla soy. The rice beverage is labeled unsweetened in USDA data and still lists about 12.7 grams of total sugars per cup.

On a Nutrition Facts label, FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, requires an Added Sugars line under Total Sugars, with a Daily Value of 50 grams; total sugars have no Daily Value. FDA’s draft guidance says its suggested voluntary nutrient statements do not cover added sugars, so the Added Sugars line on the panel is where FDA’s labeling rule puts that figure. Our guide to foods high in sugar lists USDA sugar values for other foods.

Non-dairy milk in the Dietary Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, from USDA and HHS, include fortified soy beverages in the dairy group. Fortified soy beverages and soy yogurt “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,” and the Dietary Guidelines add that “only fortified soy beverage is currently considered a dairy equivalent” among plant-based milk alternatives.

Other plant beverages are grouped differently. The Dietary Guidelines say products sold as milks but made from plants “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.” The Dietary Guidelines also say most plant-based milk alternatives “have significantly less protein than cow milk” and are not always fortified, with calcium or vitamin D, and that “these beverages should not be used in the first year of life to replace human milk or infant formula.”

USDA SR Legacy files the soy beverage with legumes and the almond, rice and coconut beverages with beverages, apart from the dairy entry. SR Legacy has no oat beverage entry; the sibling comparison of oat and almond beverages uses USDA’s survey database instead. Our single-beverage guides cover soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and cashew milk.

Reading a dairy-free carton

FDA’s draft guidance says “the nutritional content of plant-based milk alternatives varies considerably across types” and within the same type, “depending on the raw materials used, processing, fortification with vitamins and minerals, and addition of other ingredients, such as sugar and oil.” For products that use the word milk in their name, FDA’s draft recommends a voluntary statement such as “Contains lower amounts of [nutrient name(s)] than milk” when the product has less of certain nutrients than cow’s milk.

• Allergens: FDA’s major food allergens include milk, soybeans and tree nuts such as almonds, and FDA’s allergen guidance says the label must name the specific type of tree nut.
• Lactose: the Dietary Guidelines say “individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products”; see lactase and foods high in lactose.
• Nutrients: see foods high in calcium and vitamin D foods for USDA rankings beyond beverages.
• Values vary: USDA SR Legacy figures are averages of the samples USDA analyzed, and a carton’s own Nutrition Facts label is the figure for that product.

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.

Related guides: Oat Milk vs Almond Milk: USDA Values Side by Side, Types of Milk: Dairy Milk Types and Plant Beverages Compared With USDA Data, Soy Milk: Nutrition, Fortification and Soy Milk vs Milk, Oat Milk: Nutrition, Added Sugars, Gluten and How It Compares to Milk.