--- title: 'Got Milk' Dropped for 'Milk Life': Non-Diary Alternatives Take Over description: Cow’s milk reigns supreme, but if you have to opt for an alternative, find out which non-dairy variety will do your body good canonical: https://time.com/10093/milk-soy-almond-rice/ author: Courtney Subramanian article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-02-26T10:45:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:01:37.093Z article:section: Health og:title: 'Got Milk' Dropped for 'Milk Life': Non-Diary Alternatives Take Over og:description: Cow’s milk reigns supreme, but if you have to opt for an alternative, find out which non-dairy variety will do your body good og:url: https://time.com/10093/milk-soy-almond-rice/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt81d27421cd188dc7/69868329e8524b19666018ef/milk-alternatives.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1400 og:image:height: 788 og:image:alt: Close up of glasses with different kinds of milk og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Got Milk' Dropped for 'Milk Life': Non-Diary Alternatives Take Over twitter:description: Cow’s milk reigns supreme, but if you have to opt for an alternative, find out which non-dairy variety will do your body good twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt81d27421cd188dc7/69868329e8524b19666018ef/milk-alternatives.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Milk-Off! The Real Skinny on Soy, Almond, and Rice > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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After 20 years, the dairy industry is dropping its key catchphrase "Got Milk?"_ by [Courtney Subramanian](https://time.com/author/courtney-subramanian/) ## Courtney Subramanian Feb 26, 2014 10:45 AM UTC  Close up of glasses with different kinds of milk Close up of glasses with different kinds of milk Jamie Grill—Getty Images/Tetra images RF by [Courtney Subramanian](https://time.com/author/courtney-subramanian/) ## Courtney Subramanian Feb 26, 2014 10:45 AM UTC Got milk? Not anymore. In the latest sign that milk is losing the marketing battle to dairy alternatives, the industry [announced](http://business.time.com/2014/02/24/got-milk-campaign-ends-in-favor-of-milk-life/) this week that it would trade in its 20-year-old white-mustachioed ad campaign for a more competitive spin on the dietary staple. Milk consumption per capita has been on steady march downward, dropping 25% from 1975 to 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, the mainstreaming of plant-based dairy alternatives like soy, almond, and rice milk has averaged annual sales growth of 10.9% since 1999 in the U.S., according to market research firm Euromonitor. The non-dairy category has also surged to more than $1 billion in annual retail sales in the U.S. For the most part, alternatives like soymilk and almond milk are much lower in calcium and vitamin D, but these products make up for it by adding the nutrients later. So how is traditional milk trying to maintain an edge before it’s edged out of the market? Long touted as a source of calcium, the new tagline, “Milk Life,” plays up the beverage as a fount of protein and energy. Much like a recent campaign to transform [chocolate milk](http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/beverage-of-champions-chocolate-milk-gets-an-olympic-style-makeover/2014/01/31/a13261b6-89c8-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132%5Fstory.html) into an energy booster for elite athletes, a new “Milk Life” commercial likens the dairy drink to an energy one: a woman chasing her child, a rigorous game of [basketball](http://topics.time.com/basketball/), and a garage band of teens all propelled by a fluid stream of dairy. It’s a legitimate claim. “Having a dairy product after weight training helps you break down muscle fibers, which is what helps you get stronger,” says Duke University’s Diet & Fitness Center director Elisabetta Politi. “In the process of recovering and strengthening, the protein in dairy products can be more beneficial than a sports drink that would only replace carbohydrates.” More recently, plant-based milks have been perceived as healthier alternatives to dairy, but that’s not always the case, warns nutrition expert Dr. David Katz. The non-dairy milk product category was created to accommodate people who are lactose intolerant or have vegan dietary restrictions—approximately 60% and 2% of Americans, respectively—not because they are nutritionally equivalent or better. “Just because something is called milk does not mean it’s nutritious,” Katz says. “The devil is in the detail.” Katz, the director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, emphasizes it’s important to be careful about sugars or [salt](http://topics.time.com/salt/) additives, and to check labels to ensure nutrients like calcium and vitamins have also been added. Before you trade in your dairy, here’s a look at how the milk of our childhood measures up against its grown-up varieties. **Cow’s Milk**Traditional milk has garnered a lot of controversy over whether it leads to a leaner and healthier lifestyle. Conventional milk is an excellent source of protein, bone-strengthening calcium, as well as vitamins D and K. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that people aged 19 to 50 should digest 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, or drink around one to two glasses per day, but it’s still unclear how much calcium we should be consuming. As the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source [reported](http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/), too much milk could mean too much saturated fat and retinol (vitamin A), which can sometimes end up weakening bones. When it comes to reduced-fat and fat-free versus whole milk, low fat may mean fewer calories but that may not mean lower calorie intake. [Studies](http://healthland.time.com/2013/07/03/skim-milk-is-healthier-than-whole-milk-right-maybe-not/) have shown that fat is more satiating and may help control appetite. But Katz advises to find sources of fat that could benefit your health, such as olive [oil](http://topics.time.com/oil/), avocados, fish, nuts, and olives. **Bottom line:** If you’re going to skip cow’s milk, make sure you find a good source of calcium elsewhere in your diet, including leafy green vegetables, tofu, baked beans, or supplements that include vitamin D. More importantly, Katz and Politi agree that reduced-fat, organic milk, which is untreated with hormones and antibiotics, is your best bet. **Soy Milk**Though slightly on the decline, soymilk is a protein-rich alternative to cow’s milk but lacks in calcium. Soy has also been controversial in part because of [disputed](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/really-eating-soy-increases-the-risk-of-breast-cancer/?%5Fr=0) claims linking the phytoestrogen-rich soy to increased risk of breast cancer, but the dairy alternative is richer in vitamin B and has 10% of your recommended daily intake of folic acid, a B-complex vitamin. Soy has proven effective in lowering cholesterol, but Politi says you need a lot of soy in your diet to produce that effect. She suggests about 25 grams of soy a day, or about four to five soy products. **Bottom line:** If you’re going to buy soy, go for the unflavored, organic soymilk in order to preserve the protein it contains. However, Politi suggests consuming soy in moderation and combining it with other non-dairy products. She also notes that non-dairy consumers with gastritis or irritable bowel syndrome should be wary, as soy can also cause bloating. **Almond Milk**Almond milk sales have climbed over the past few years, as it has been touted as a healthier alternative to milk and soymilk. It contains fewer calories than soy (90 calories in 8 oz.), no saturated fat or cholesterol, about 25% of your daily vitamin D, and almost half of your vitamin E. Though almond milk has also been recognized for preventing heart disease, Politi doesn’t believe it has the same nutritional value as conventional milk. In fact, the nutty drink has very little protein. **Bottom line:** It’s a good alternative as long as you’re supplementing your diet with protein. The calorie-light, nutty taste of almond milk makes a good dairy substitute in coffee or cereal for dieters. **Rice Milk**Rice milk is processed, milled rice, blended with water until it transforms into a liquid. During the process, carbohydrates become sugar, giving it a natural sweetened taste. The sugary alternative is very low in nutrient value unless vitamins and calcium are added to it. It’s the least likely to trigger allergies, but contains almost no protein. **Bottom line:** Rice milk is great for lactose intolerance, but it has twice as many carbohydrates and is not nutritious alternative for milk. Balance rice milk with other sources of protein, or look for brands that enrich the milk in chickpea protein to get an extra boost of calcium. ## Transcript >> It was a dark stormy night. A milkman's car fell of the road. >> Got milk? >> I don't want milk. Milk's are for babies. >> Yeah, babies. >> You'll have a milk. >> Yum yum time. >> I can't wait to get a chug of milk. -[ unk ]. Yeah. >> Warning, no milk. Warning, no milk. >> Today, the entire world ran out of milk. >> There's no milk anywhere. No. >> Mommy's got your milk right- >> We're out of milk. >> You're fired. >> What happened to my lights? >> Got milk? >> That's a silly question. >> You know why you don't have games? 'Cause you don't get milk. >> Milk. >> You got the cops. >> What? >> The cops. >> All right, boys. Drop your straws. >> Wooh. Hey. >> Oh, that's not good. -[ unk ]. >> Milk, milk. What goes with pie? Milk, milk. What goes with beans? >> Milky, milky smooth. Now available in your town. >> What? -[ unk ]. -[ unk ]. >> Got milk? ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/10093/milk-soy-almond-rice/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/10093/milk-soy-almond-rice/"},"headline":"Milk-Off! 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