Cashew Milk vs Soy Milk: Which Is Healthier?

In this article, we are going to compare cashew milk and soy milk to see how they compare in many aspects including calories, nutritional content, taste, usage, effects on weight loss, and environment.

To make this comparison as fair as possible and get a realistic picture of how cashew and soy milk compare, we’ve used USDA’s date on products that are unsweetened and that aren’t fortified or that are minimally fortified if the completely unfortified product isn’t available.

Both cashew and soy milk are dairy-free, and therefore suitable for vegans and people that stick to a plant-based diet for a variety of reasons, but there are also many differences between these plant-based drinks.

Let’s see what cashew and soy drinks are, how they are produced, and finally how they compare in various ways.

What is Cashew Milk and How It’s Made?

The market for substitute milk is growing day by day. This sector, which was formerly dominated by almond, oat, and soy products, now has a range of plant-based milk, which each offers a different taste and unique nutritional advantages.

Cashew milk seems to be an ideal compromise, offering a low-calorie alternative with a creamier texture than most nut milk. It also is packed with minerals, healthy fats, vitamins, and other plant-based elements.

Cashew milk, which is available in sweetened and unsweetened variants, may substitute for cow’s milk in the majority of recipes.

Cashew milk has a range of beneficial lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins, including cashews themselves.

This incredibly nutritious beverage gets the majority of its content from unsaturated fatty acids, which are known to improve heart health and give a variety of other advantages.

In comparison to handmade cashew milk, commercial varieties are often enriched with additional minerals and vitamins and they contain greater quantities of certain components overall.

What is Soy Milk and How It’s Made?

Soy is a legume that originates from Asia and is very popular to be consumed today. Soy milk is a milk derivative made from soybeans.

Since it is plant-based and offers various health benefits, soy milk has an important place, especially in plant-based nutrition. It’s often used as a dairy-free alternative for coffee, breakfast oatmeal or cereals, rice puddings, baked goods, curries and so on.

Along with almond and oat milk, soy milk is one of the most popular plant-based nut milks.

Soy milk is prepared by combining soaked soybeans into the water and filtering off the particles to leave a clear, milk-like fluid. It is considered a whole soy food.

Both sweetened and unsweetened varieties are available.

Unsweetened variants are typically made up of solely filtered water and soybeans, while certain brands may additionally include vitamins, salt, or/and minerals.

Cashew vs Soy Milk Nutrition and Calories

In this section, we’ll analyze the similarities and differences between cashew milk and soy milk based on nutritional information provided by USDA.

Macronutrients

Plant-based milks mostly consist of water, and cashew and soy milks are no exceptions.

3.5 oz or 100 g of cashew milk contains 54 calories, and consists mostly of fat (4.17 g), followed by carbs (2.92 g) and protein (1.67 g).

Speaking of soy milk, the same amount contains 38 calories, and consists mostly of protein (3.55 g), followed by fat (2.12 g) and carbs (1.29 g).

The table below compares the nutrition of a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of cashew milk to the same amount of soy milk.

Fiber

Fiber is important for our health as it keeps us feeling full, prevents constipation, lowers sugar spikes and regulates sugar levels, lowers total and LDL cholesterol, and provides many other benefits.

When it comes to dietary fiber, soy milk is a better choice. It contains 0.45 g per 3.5oz (100g), while cashew milk is lower in dietary fiber with 0 g.

Micronutrients

What about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in cashew and soy milk?

The table below shows the most important vitamins and minerals in unfortified or minimally fortified plant-based drinks available in the market. Some of these nutrients are hard to get on a vegan diet.

Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably want to know whether cashew or soy milk is better for you.

With 54 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), cashew milk is higher in calories than soy milk which contains 38 calories.

Cashew vs Soy Milk Taste and Uses

Cashew milk is a nut-based milk alternative similar to almond milk. Cashew milk is a little creamier than almond milk.

Most people prefer cashew milk to almond milk because of its thick consistency and mild taste. It has a subtle nutty flavor that may complement your baked items.

Cashew milk can be used to make creamy smoothies, soups, and pasta sauces. You can use it as a cream alternative with oat milk in a cream-based sauce.

You can add cashew milk to puddings and even use it to make vegan ice cream. Cashew milk with less water can give a cheesy consistency. You can use it for your vegan mac and cheese.

It can be also used as a salad dressing as well. You can add cashew milk to your breakfast cereals and oatmeal.

Soy milk has a mild beany taste. Some people may find it bitter and weird when trying for the first time.

While you may still have a slightly beany under-taste, the bitterness goes away during pasteurization in the commercially available soy milk. You may get a hint of vanilla in many commercial soy milk brands.

Soy milk has a creamy texture and a high nutritional density. It is high in protein and rich in healthy fats (PUFAs).

It can be used in pancakes, baked items, and smoothies. Home-made oat milk may add extra bitterness to your coffee. If you don’t like the taste, you can use commercially available sweetened soy milk.

You can use soy milk in your soups, sauces and curries as well. Soy milk is used to make tofu curd.

Conclusion

Cashew milk and soy milk are both plant-based, non-dairy beverages, suitable for vegans.

Cashew milk and soy milk have their similarities and differences, but both are nutritious and a healthful addition to your diet. When available, always choose unsweetened, fortified products or try making them at home.

Plant milks, including cashew and soy milks are easy to add to a diet, and can be used in varieties of recipes and dishes.

Fortified products will help get different nutrients, including micronutrients that are usually hard to get on a plant-based diet, such as vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium and others.

If you’re willing to learn more about these non-dairy milks, read our articles about them: Cashew Milk and Soy Milk.

Looking for more articles like this? We’ve got a tool that lets you compare the most popular non-dairy milks.

Other Cashew Milk Comparisons

• Almond vs Cashew
• Barley vs Cashew
• Cashew vs Coconut
• Cashew vs Macadamia
• Cashew vs Oat
• Cashew vs Pea
• Cashew vs Rice

Other Soy Milk Comparisons

• Almond Milk vs Soy Milk
• Barley Milk vs Soy Milk
• Coconut Milk vs Soy Milk
• Macadamia Milk vs Soy Milk
• Oat Milk vs Soy Milk
• Pea Milk vs Soy Milk
• Rice Milk vs Soy Milk