Isn't it amazing how many types of milk are available? You can get cow's milk, but if you're lactose intolerant or vegan, you can use soy milk instead. If you're worried about the possible health risks of eating too much soy [1], you can pick up some rice milk [2]. If you're not into the watery consistency, then there's always almond milk [3]. Basically, you have a lot of options.
So nutritionally speaking, ever wonder how all these types of milk compare? If so then
| Serving Size = 1 cup | Calories | Total Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Carbs (g) | Sugars (g) | Protein (g) |
| Skim Milk | 90 | 0 | 0 | less than 5 | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| 1% Milk | 110 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| 2% Milk | 190 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
| 2% Chocolate Milk | 170 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 8 |
| Whole Milk | 150 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
| Half and Half | 320 | 28 | 16 | 80 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Heavy Cream | 800 | 96 | 56 | 320 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1% Buttermilk | 100 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
| Plain Soy Milk | 130 | 4 | .5 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
| Vanilla Soy milk | 150 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 15 | 7 |
| Chocolate Soy Milk | 180 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 14 | 8 |
| Plain Rice Milk | 120 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 11 | 1 |
| Vanilla Rice Milk | 120 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Chocolate Rice Milk | 160 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 28 | 2 |
| Almond Milk | 90 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 14 | 1 |
Well there you have it. If you're watching your calorie intake, skim milk or almond milk are definitely the way to go. If you're trying to lower your cholesterol, I'd stick with cholesterol-free soy, rice, or almond milk. If you're trying to get more protein in your diet, than surprisingly enough, plain soy milk [4] is the best choice. When choosing which one, it all comes down to your dietary or ethical preference, but I'd only use heavy cream in small quantities.