The Best Kinds of Milk for Diabetes

Are you a coffee or tea person in the morning?

Either way, you might be adding tons of sugar to your morning cup without knowing it. For most people, this might not be a big deal. But for people with diabetes, it might be sending their blood sugar a little haywire.

Most people forget that milk contains sugar and carbohydrates.

Although a splash or two of milk may not have a dramatic impact on your blood sugar, if you are someone who loves a weak coffee or tea, it might have an impact.

But, not all milks are equal. Today there are so many different kinds of milk available. From good ol’ dairy milk to newer plant-based milk such as oat and almond milk. The nutritional content of milk varies from source to sources and brand to brand.

So, what milks are best for people with diabetes? That’s what we are going to take a dive into.

Dairy-Based Milk

Dairy-based milk is a great source of protein and is often fortified with many vitamins and minerals that your body needs. However, even lactose-free options can contain quite a bit of sugar.

amount of nutrients found in 250 mL serving of milk
**240 mL serving of milk

You might be surprised to learn that plant-based alternatives often have lower amounts of carbohydrates and sugars than dairy-based milk.

Oat Milk

Oat milk is a popular plant-based option. Most brands of oat milk are vegan and nut-free. This means you can safely include them in your diet even if you have nut-related allergies. However, unlike dairy-based options, oat milk is not always gluten-free (GF).

amount of nutrients found in 250 mL serving
**240 mL serving

Almond Milk

In general, almond milk tends to be lower in carbohydrates and sugars than both oat and dairy-based milk. Plus, there are MANY different types of almond milks available to choose from.

When it comes to carbohydrates, Earth’s Own Almond Unsweetened Original, Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk and Califia Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk contain the least amount, as well as 0 grams of sugar. Though SoDelicious Unsweetened Almondmilk Beverage isn’t far behind either!

For people with diabetes, this means that these options should not have a big impact on your blood sugar, because they contain little to no sugar!

Check out the table below for a nutrition content breakdown of some diabetes-friendly options available.

amount of nutrients found in 240 mL (1 cup) serving
**per 250 mL serving

Chocolate Milk

If you are looking for something different (and maybe a little more fun) than regular milk, you can check out Blue Diamond Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk. It contains only 2 grams of carbohydrates and 0 grams of sugar. If you’re a chocolate milk aficionado, this may be a more diabetes-friendly option than Silk Dark Chocolate Almondmilk.

amount of nutrients found in 240 mL (1 cup) serving
**per 250 mL serving

Soy Milk

Like almond-based options, soy beverages have lower amounts of carbohydrates and sugar than both dairy-based and oat milk.

amount of nutrients found in 250 mL serving of milk
**240 mL serving of milk

Other Options

Although almond, oat and soy milk may be the most popular, there are many other types of milk available. This includes other nut-milk such as coconut and macadamia, as well as pea milk. The table below has a breakdown of the nutritional content for some diabetes-friendly options.

amount of nutrients found in 250 mL serving of milk
**240 mL serving of milk

Reminder

 Although including a small amount of milk in your coffee or tea (or any other drink) may not have a huge impact on your blood sugar, larger amounts will. You may want to choose your milk based on many factors including, how much you are using, how much your blood sugar responds and how often you use it.

Additionally, you should also keep in mind that each type of milk can have a different consistency and flavour. This might take a bit of shopping around to find the right milk for you. But luckily there are many blood sugar-friendly options for you to choose from.

Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate links, which may pay me a marginal amount for sales. Using affiliate links will not impact the cost you pay for the product.