🌱 Rice milk
A sweetish plant-based drink. It is not advised for children under 5: rice can contain arsenic.
Rice milk is a plant drink made from rice and water. It is most often made from brown rice. It tastes slightly sweet. Shop-bought drinks often have added sugar or sweeteners, and sometimes vanilla.
Rice milk is about 89% water and about 9% carbohydrates, with about 1% fat and almost no protein. Without fortification it has little calcium and few vitamins. That is why shop-bought drinks are often fortified with calcium, vitamins B12 and D, and iron. It has no cholesterol and no lactose. Rice milk suits people with lactose intolerance and with allergies to milk, soy or nuts.
There is an important caution for children. Rice can contain arsenic. So the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises not giving children under 5 rice drinks instead of breast milk, formula or cow's milk. Rice milk also raises blood sugar quickly. Its glycaemic index is about 86, compared with about 39 for cow's milk.
How it connects to milk
🌱 Rice milk → replaces → 🥛 Milk
Links
- What it replaces
- 🥛 Milk
- Suitable for
- ❤️ Milk protein allergy
Frequently asked questions
How is rice milk different from cow's milk?
It has more carbohydrates, but almost no protein and little calcium unless fortified. It has no lactose and no cholesterol.
Can children drink rice milk?
The UK FSA advises against giving it to children under 5 instead of milk or formula, because rice contains arsenic.
Is rice milk OK if you have allergies?
Usually yes: it has no milk protein, soy or nuts. But it is low in protein, so fortification and a varied diet are important.
Similar
🌱 Soy milk · 🌱 Almond milk · 🌱 Oat milk · 🌱 Coconut milk · 🌱 Lactose-free milk