Macadamia Milk vs Soy Milk: What’s The Difference?

In this article, we are going to compare macadamia 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 macadamia 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 macadamia 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 macadamia and soy drinks are, how they are produced, and finally how they compare in various ways.

On the other note, if you’d like to read more content like this, check out other non-dairy drinks comparisons.

What is Macadamia Milk and How It’s Made?

Macadamia milk is another plant-based milk product that has gained popularity in recent years and is appreciated by many individuals.

Sugar-free versions are low-calorie, low-carb, and gluten-free.

It’s also loaded with a host of properties, such as it can support your vitamin D intake, its calcium content is even higher than cow’s milk, and it’s non-GMO.

Unsweetened macadamia milk is keto-friendly. It is one of the milk with the lowest carbohydrate content of all plant milk.

Along with unsweetened pea milk, they contain less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and no sugar at all.

Instead, they’re rich in heart-friendly healthy fats thanks to the composition of macadamia nuts. However, it is worth noting that since they are made into milk, they contain less than 4% macadamia and mostly contain water.

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.

Macadamia vs Soy Milk Nutrition and Calories

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

Macronutrients

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

3.5 oz or 100 g of macadamia milk contains 21 calories, and consists mostly of fat (2.08 g), followed by protein (0.42 g) and carbs (0.42 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 macadamia 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 macadamia milk is lower in dietary fiber with 0.4 g.

Micronutrients

What about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in macadamia 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 macadamia or soy milk is better for you.

With 38 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), soy milk is higher in calories than macadamia milk which contains 21 calories.

Macadamia vs Soy Milk Taste and Uses

Macadamia milk has a perfect balance of flavor and texture. It is creamy, sweet, and slightly nutty.

Many people may get a vanilla-like aftertaste when using it.

Macadamia milk is the perfect plant-based milk choice for coffee and chai.

It pairs well with both hot and cold drinks. It goes well with iced tea and hot chocolate. Macadamia milk can be poured over any breakfast cereal or used as a base for vegan ice-creams.

You can use macadamia milk as an ingredient when baking cakes and bread. You can also use it to complement vegetable curries.

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

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

Macadamia 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 macadamia 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: Macadamia Milk and Soy Milk.

Other Macadamia Milk Comparisons

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

Other Soy Milk Comparisons

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