The Spruce Eats. What is miso and how do you use it?. The Spruce Eats. 2018. Retrieved from:https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-miso-p2-3376832. Retrieved on 2018-09-21. < PREVIOUS POST NEXT To minimise the risk that the soya you are drinking is associated with deforestation, it is good to look for a company that sources it from outside South America. See the table below for what we found online on all the soya milk brands, including supermarkets. Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:E1303-7. While the average carbon emissions of growing oats might be fairly similar to that of soya or almonds, if shopping in the UK, the oats in your oat milk were probably grown closer to home than many other popular plant milk ingredients.

While the cost-of-living crisis is forcing many people to make difficult choices, the top executives of larger companies are probably not worrying too much about having to tighten their belts. Miso paste is a staple in Japanese cooking and is made from fermented soy beans ( 6). Miso paste is low FODMAP in 12g (2 sachet) serves ( 1). Soy Sauce Oats require less water to grow than almonds and, while they do require a fair bit of land, there is little risk that tropical rainforest has been razed to the ground to grow them. Rice Soy sauce is made using fermented soybeans. It is possible that the fermentation process reduces the oligosaccharides in the soybeans, which is why the soy sauce is low FODMAP. Soy sauce is low FODMAP in 2 tablespoon serves ( 1). Fresh Edamame (1 cup or 50g) While palm oil wasn’t found in plant milk itself, many of the companies in this guide are using it in their other products.Many companies received a middle rating because although not reporting on their emissions or demonstrating plans to reduce them, they were providing a lower carbon alternative, and not dairy milk. This included: Veg of Lund (Dug), Glebe Farm, Good Hemp, First Grade International (Koko), Watkins Drinks (Mighty), Minor Figures, Rude Health, Rebel Kitchen and The Bridge. It was recently announced that the company has received investment from Danone, a major processor of dairy products. It is currently unclear what percentage the investment equates to. This means that the activities of Danone are not currently affecting Minor Figures’ Ethiscore, but if more information becomes publicly available this may change.

On the score table we have indicated where a brand only makes one or two types of milk. But some brands make a broader range so the table below lists all the brands in this guide. Type

Lewin, J. The health benefits of… tofu. BBC Good Food. 2014. Retrieved from:http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-tofu. Retrieved on: 2016-06-06.

Another issue is that Californian almond farmers often use a lot of pesticides, which can be harmful to the health of wildlife and people. It has been a particular cause of concern for bee welfare. The use of bees to pollinate California’s almond monocrops is also thought by some to be putting bees under a lot of stress. Bath SC, Steer CD, Golding J, Emmett P, Rayman MP. Effect of inadequate iodine status in UK pregnant women on cognitive outcomes in their children: results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Lancet. 2013;382:331-7. Bath SC, Hill S, Goenaga Infante H, Elghul S, Nezianya CJ, Rayman MP. Iodine concentration of milk-alternative drinks available in the UK in comparison with cows’ milk. Br J Nutr. 2017:1-8. Varney J. Talking Tofu. Monash Low FODMAP Blog. 2015-12-10. Retrieved from:http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/talking-tofu.html. Retrieved on: 2016-06-06. (Archived by WebCite ® at http://www.webcitation.org/6i3V4hGeK)However, as with vegan cheese and meat-free alternatives, there are a number of non-vegan brands making and selling vegan milk. Non-vegan companies Rice can have a higher greenhouse gas impact than other cereals due to the methane produced by flooded rice paddies. However, it isn’t really clear if it makes much difference to the carbon footprint of rice milk – some analyses find it somewhat bigger than the other alternatives to dairy, but others don’t. Either way, rice milk still comes out as far better for the climate than dairy milk. For more discussion of the ethical issues around rice see our shopping guide to rice. Almond While issues with Californian almonds get more attention because of its huge market share, pesticide use is also an issue in other countries, and with other ingredients. The easiest way to avoid high pesticide use is to choose an organic certified product. The following brands sell organic almond milk: Alpro, Bruce, Plenish, Provamel (Danone), ReRooted, Rude Health, and The Bridge. Coconut The environmental benefits of plant milks are the main marketing angle these days, but choosing plant milk over dairy is also a way to help reduce animal exploitation. We cover this more in detail in our article on the typical life of dairy cow. Messina M, Redmond G. Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: a review of the relevant literature. Thyroid. 2006;16:249-58.