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We Graded Every Milk & Milk Alternative A–F. Added Sugar Drew the Only Real Line.

Most of our report cards are an exposé. This one mostly isn’t. We ran every milk and milk alternative we could find — ultra-filtered dairy, lactose-free, soy, almond, oat and pea — through the same 6-dimension Labelgrade, and nearly all of them land in the B range. Milk grades well; the alternatives, when they skip the sugar, grade right alongside it. The dividing line turns out to be one thing: added sugar. Ultra-filtered dairy tops the list on sheer protein density, the unsweetened plant milks are clean and fine, and the only carton that actually falls is the sweetened chocolate almond milk. Whole versus 2% is a small saturated-fat trade at the top — but the real lesson is to skip the flavored versions.

The verdict

We graded 9 milks & milk alternatives A–F: the category averages 77/100 (B), from 80 (B+) at the top down to 67 (C+) at the bottom.

Added sugar is the whole story: ultra-filtered Fairlife leads on protein density, the unsweetened plant milks (Silk, Califia, Ripple, Oatly) grade right alongside the dairy, and the lone faller is Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Chocolate at C+ — dragged down by added sugar, not the almond.

Top of the class B+ Fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk 80/100
Bottom of the class C+ Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Chocolate Almondmilk 67/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk B+ 80/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 120 mg
  • Low saturated fat at 3 g

Cons

  • No fiber

#2 Fairlife Lactose-Free 2% Ultra-Filtered Milk B+ 80/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 120 mg
  • Low saturated fat at 3 g

Cons

  • No fiber

#3 Horizon Organic DHA Omega-3 Whole Milk B+ 80/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 135 mg
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber
  • Only 8 g protein per serving

#4 Ripple Unsweetened Original Plant-Based Milk B 79/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 120 mg
  • Low saturated fat at 0.5 g

Cons

  • No fiber
  • Only 8 g protein per serving

#5 Lactaid 100% Lactose Free Whole Milk B 78/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 125 mg
  • Low saturated fat at 5 g

Cons

  • No fiber
  • Only 8 g protein per serving

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 9 milks & milk alternatives, ranked

#Milks & milk alternativeGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Fairlife — Ultra-Filtered Milk B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
2 Fairlife — Lactose-Free 2% Ultra-Filtered Milk B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
3 Horizon Organic — DHA Omega-3 Whole Milk B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
4 Ripple — Unsweetened Original Plant-Based Milk B 79 fiber (30/100)
5 Lactaid — 100% Lactose Free Whole Milk B 78 fiber (30/100)
6 Califia Farms — Unsweetened Almond Milk B 77 fiber (37/100)
7 Silk — Original Soy Milk B 77 fiber (36/100)
8 Oatly — Original Oatmilk B- 74 fiber (36/100)
9 Blue Diamond — Almond Breeze Chocolate Almondmilk C+ 67 added sugar (24/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk tops the class at 80/100 (B+); Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Chocolate Almondmilk anchors the bottom at 67/100 (C+). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which milk scored highest?

Ultra-filtered dairy led on protein density — Fairlife topped the list, with Horizon Organic whole milk and the unsweetened soy, almond and pea milks close behind. See the ranked table above for the exact order and each one’s weakest dimension. The spread is tight, so most of these are a solid pick.

Why did the chocolate almond milk score lowest?

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Chocolate came last because the flavoring bolts on added sugar, and added sugar is one of our six dimensions. The unsweetened almond milks grade much higher for the same reason — they skip the sweetening. A clean case of the recipe, not the base, setting the score.

Is dairy or plant milk healthier?

By our score it’s closer than the marketing suggests: ultra-filtered dairy wins on protein density, but the unsweetened plant milks grade right alongside it on clean ingredients and low sugar. The bigger variable than dairy-vs-plant is sweetened-vs-unsweetened — the flavored cartons are the only ones that drop. Pick unsweetened and you’re in good shape either way.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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