The healthy swap you’re making to your morning coffee is more harmful than helpful, experts say

A popular milk alternative could actually be negatively impacting your health more than you think.

Historically, oat milk — a dairy-free and plant-based milk — has been marketed as a healthy drink, since it is rich in fiber and adds calcium and Vitamin D to your diet, which supports bone health, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

However, dietitians and health experts have seen oat milk and its ingredients through a different lens.

Speaking to Parade, registered dietitian Melissa Rifkin pointed out that oat milk has more carbohydrates and added sugars and oils than other plant milks, including almond.

“Oat milk lattes can be part of a healthy diet, but they’re not nutritionally complete on their own,” she explained. “While it can provide some fiber, most oat milk lattes are low in protein and fat—two nutrients that help stabilize blood sugar and keep you full.”

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Registered dietitian Nour Zibdeh also noted that oat milk is high in carbohydrates, so it can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels if consumed in the morning. However, this isn’t the case with dairy milk, which contains protein and fat that balance out its natural sugar content.

“Oat milk, however, is low in protein and fat and leads to worse spikes in blood sugar,” she added to Parade.

Registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty echoed the carbohydrate warning, telling Prevention that one cup of oat milk contains about 16 grams of carbohydrates, or nearly as many as a slice of bread.

“If you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, you’ll need to factor this in with the other carbs at your meal, or you may want to choose a different type of milk with fewer carbs,” Cassetty added.

During a high-profile 2024 interview with American entrepreneur Marie Forleo, French biochemist and New York Times bestselling author Jessie Inchauspé — also known as the “Glucose Goddess” — shared her thoughts on the potential downsides of oat milk.

“Oat milk comes from oats, and oats are a grain, and grains are starch. When you’re [drinking] oat milk, you’re [drinking] starch juice. You’re [drinking] juice with a lot of glucose in it. So it leads to a big glucose spike,” she said.

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“If you have milk that comes from a cow, that’s mostly protein and fat,” she continued. “If you have milk that comes from a nut, that’s also very, very low in starch. Those are better options in terms of glucose-balancing properties.”

Still, there are ways to keep oat milk in your latte while heeding the advice of dietitians. One option is pairing your latte with foods that are filled with protein, like eggs or Greek yogurt, since it’s the lack of dietary balance that affects those sugar levels.

Cassetty also encouraged shoppers to check the ingredients when purchasing oat milk. “There are pros and cons to all plant-based milks, so my best advice is to choose one that has no emulsifiers and no added sugars,” she explained to Prevention.

You can also look to buy almond or soy milk instead.

“Oat milk may cause higher blood sugar increases than unsweetened almond or soy milk because it’s higher in carbohydrates,” registered dietitian May Zhu told Parade. “Almond and soy milk have slightly more protein and fat relative to carbs, creating a better macronutrient balance for blood sugar management.”