Rice Milk: Brands to Choose and Avoid
Rice milk is processed, milled rice, blended with water until it becomes liquid. During the process, carbohydrates become sugar, giving it a naturally sweetened taste.
Rice milk tends to be low in nutrient value unless vitamins and calcium are added to it. However, it’s the least likely of all dairy milk alternatives to trigger allergies. But it contains almost no protein.
Rice milk is not as popular as it once was, with other alternatives, such as oat milk, becoming more popular.
Rice Milk Brand Comparison
Provamel
Provamel rice drink is a EU-made rice drink with the simplest ingredients list of all rice milks.
Nutrition Per 8 fl oz serving (Original Classic):
- Calories: 135
- Carbs: 27.5 grams
- Sugar: 16 grams
- Protein: 0.3 gram
- Fat: 2.75 grams
Ingredients: Water, European Rice (14.7%), Sunflower oil, sea salt.
Health grade: A
Dream Ricemilk (formerly Rice Dream)
Rice Dream offers both shelf-stable and refrigerated rice milk products. Their shelf-stable line offers a wider variety of choices, like unsweetened and organic.
Nutrition Per 8 fl oz serving (Original Classic):
- Calories: 120
- Carbs: 24 grams
- Sugar: 11 grams
- Protein: 0 gram
- Fat: 2.5 grams
Ingredients (original classic): Organic Ricemilk (Water, Organic Hydrolyzed Rice), Organic Canola Oil and/or Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt.
Canola Oil: The fat in Rice Dream may be from canola oil which has been questioned recently because of its processing methods and possible inflammatory effect.
Health grade: B
Buy at Amazon
Better Than Milk
This Italian-made rice milk uses only whole-food ingredients, including seaweed as a source of plant-based calcium
Nutrition Per 8 fl oz serving:
- Calories: 150
- Carbs: 32 grams
- Sugar: 13 grams
- Protein: 0 gram
- Fat: 3 grams
Ingredients (unsweetened + calcium):Spring Water, Organic Rice, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Safflower Oil, Seaweed, Sea Salt.
Health grade: A
Buy at Amazon
Alpro Rice Original
This rice milk is fortified with extra nutrients (calcium and potassium)
Nutrition Per 8 fl oz serving:
- Calories: 113
- Carbs: 23 grams
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Protein: 0.2 gram
- Fat: 2.4 grams
Ingredients:Rice base (Water, Rice (12.5%)), Sunflower oil, Calcium (Tri-calcium phosphate), Sea salt, Stabiliser (Gellan gum), Acidity regulator (Potassium phosphates), Vitamins (B12, D2).
Alpro used to have maltodextrin, which has since been removed.
Health grade: B
Buy at Amazon
Koita Rice Milk
Another Italian-made rice milk, it unfortunately some of its stabilising fat from palm oil, however its higher carbohydrate content indicates more rice.
Nutrition Per 8 fl oz serving:
- Calories: 160
- Carbs: 34 grams
- Sugar: 17 grams
- Protein: < 1 grams
- Fat: 2 grams
Ingredients:Water, Rice, Sunflower Oil, Mono and Diglycerides (From Palm Oil), Sea Salt, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).
Health grade: B
Buy at Amazon
Vitasoy Rice Milk unsweetened
Vitasoy is an Australian brand.
Nutrition Per 250 ml serving:
- Calories: 111
- Carbs: 20 grams
- Sugar: 14.5 grams
- Protein: 0.5 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
Ingredients:Filtered water, whole brown rice (min. 13%), sunflower oil, mineral (calcium phosphate), sea salt.
Health grade: A
Rice milk powder
When buying non-dairy ‘milks’, you are buying mostly water. The weight adds to the price (shipping and packaging).
Alternatively, buying a rice milk powder is an option.
You get a considerably cheaper product. However, you lose the convenience of a ready-to-drink (you need to mix it with water).
Texture and flavor will vary – a rice milk powder will tend to be grainier as it lacks emulsifiers and fats that give rice milks their texture and mouthfeel.
Brands that no longer make rice milk
Many brands have removed rice milk from their portfolio as consumer interest has waned. The following rice milks are no longer available.
- Pacific foods.
- Good Karma organic ricemilk.
- Trader Joe’s organic rice drink.
- Kirkland rice milk.
- Wholefoods 365 rice milk.
How does rice milk compare with other plant-based milks (and with dairy)?
Rice milk has similar amounts of calories to oat milk and dairy. However, it has the lowest amount of protein of any plant-based milk.
What is the best rice milk?
Vitasoy Rice Milk and Provamel are probably the gold standard in that they have the least additives and are closest to if you would make rice milk at home.
Unfortunately, neither are available in the US, so Dream is probably the second-best.
See the best and worst coconut milk and almond milk.
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Sources
- ROSA, M. (1972). Biological properties of carrageenan. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 24(2), 89-102. abstract
- James, M. J., Gibson, R. A., & Cleland, L. G. (2000). Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(1), 343s-348s. abstract
42 Comments
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Need to buy Rice Milk Urgently. Where can I purchase in India/Mumbai
I don’t like how most rice milks have added vitamins because I’ve read differing opinions on this. It would be nice to see a rice milk with the bare basics.
I’m at a huge loss when it comes to finding a healthy -for me- alternative. I cannot have coconut oil, safflower oil, or sunflower oil and definitely no carrageenan and all these rice milk products have one or more of those ingredients. The same with almond milk the other alternative I had been drinking before I found out the listed ingredients were the ones I was to avoid.
Hello Maria Mora I never heard of Coconut Oil allergy. What happens if you have it ? Have you ever tried just the coconut oil by itself to see if that is the cause ?
Only way to avoid all that you may be allergic to is to make it homemade. I’ve been researching on the internet for best and easy recipes for home made
There is only 1 thing I hate in all drink substitutes no matter what.
SEA SALT,
EVERY THING I HAVE TRIED HAS GOT THIS IN IT AND IT TASTES
DISGUSTING.
get rid of it.
It is not needed.
“it is not needed”
Salt is a preservative.
Trying to find a low-potassium alternative calcium source for my kidney-challenged husband. Most of the above don’t list the K contents, and only Trader Joe’s meets the level criteria.
I love rice drink/milk because it’s a less sweet version of horchata, not necessarily for its health advantages. I’ve read that carrageenan is troublesome (it’s in more products than you’d think), but was surprised that this site considers brown rice syrup a questionable ingredient. It’s touted as a healthy alternative to sugars on other “health” sites. Response anyone? Thank you.
Brown rice syrup, cane juice, coconut sugar etc. etc. etc. They are all just healthy sounding words for added sugar.
Where can one purchase Vitasoy. I live in USA and it appears to be a an Australian product
Vitasoy is based in Hong Kong, but the product above is branded and manufactured for the Australian market. Amazon carry some Vitasoy (Hong Kong) products, but only Soy milk as far as I can see.
Any product that says drink, beverage, punch. in its title implies added sugar or artificial sweetner. I worked for a major food processing company. Hope this helps your choices.
is there a difference between rice milk and rice drink my sons dr said to give him rice milk i noticed that what i got says rice drink….is it the same
It’s the same thing. Some brands use the term “drink” because it isn’t technically milk. Milk technically only comes from mammals.
I decided to look up the best Rice Milk because I’ve been giving a little bit of Traders Joe’s “Rice Drink” to my furry child while on a 7plus days juice fast, where even thou I know its safe for me, I also needed to know how good it is for myself and safe for my furry baby, as well.
BUT omg! I’ve been drinking Traders Joe’s ‘Rice Drink’ since becoming Vegan
12 years ago, but for some odd reason I’ve been thinking it was called
Rice Milk. lol!
Well, anyway, I’ll be stocking up on the winner from now on but only if its no more than 25 cents higher than the great price at TJs.
thanks and shared!
Um you better not be doing a juice fast on your dog / cat whatever lol wth . If you are please stop and consult a veterinarian. That is radical. If not sorry about the fuss but I hate when people do stuff like that to their pets as if they were humans
Jeez, im just getting into rice milk too. What a bummer!
Great roundup. I used to drink the Vitasoy or the Rice Dream, depending on which was on sale. The vitasoy seemed slightly creamier in texture, but to be honest, all of them are pretty bland. Nowadays I tend to drink a coconut almond milk combination.
Yeah, it seems rice milk’s popularity is waning with all of the great nut milk alternatives out there. I’m a huge fan of the cashew milk.
Nut milks are great if you don’t have nut issues or added ingredient issues.. Some of us still need rice milk for that reason.