tl;dr: they all don't taste as good as the ones with seed oil, but "Califia Farms Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk" tasted the best. After some deeper research, I don't think seed oils are unhealthy anymore though so I won't be drinking any of these in the future.

The Taste Test

I've been drinking plant milk for a while because I have mild lactose intolerance and figured plant milk was healthier. I saw on social media somewhere that seed oils in your plant milk were inflammatory. Seemed reasonable so I set out to find a plant milk without seed oils in it.

After some research, I found three highly acclaimed brands to try out. My friend and I blind taste-tested them to find which one was best and here are the results:

1. Califia Farms Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk - best taste and texture all around

2. MALK Almond Milk, Unsweetened - similar to Califia except just slightly more watery and had a less pleasant aftertaste

3. Elmhurst Unsweetened Almond Milk - worst taste, tasted the most watery and had a slight acidic aftertaste

Overall, they all had poor texture and taste compared to what I'm used to. Would not recommend any of these.

Are Seed Oils Unhealthy?

They are certainly healthier than animal oils and claims that seed oils are inflammatory are disputed. It depends on if you have an unusually bad balance of Omega-6s to Omega-3s in your diet. Not worth thinking about for your average person.

There's also a good thread from Bryan Johnson that disputes claims that seed oils are unhealthy.

Here's the ChatGPT Deep Research for future reference:

Sunflower, canola, and rapeseed oils, as used in plant-based milks, are generally beneficial or neutral for health when consumed in moderation. They are high in unsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3) that are essential for the body and have been linked to improved cardiovascular outcomes (like lower LDL cholesterol and reduced heart disease risk) (sources: AHA, PubMed).

These oils are low in saturated fat and contain helpful micronutrients (vitamin E, vitamin K, phytosterols) (sources: Healthline, Harvard Nutrition Source), aligning them with heart-healthy dietary patterns.

Fears that seed oils “cause inflammation” are not supported by the bulk of scientific evidence – at typical intake levels, they do not drive chronic inflammation or immune dysfunction (sources: Lipid World, AHA). In fact, balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fats is what’s important, and canola oil excels in that balance (source: Healthline). Sunflower oil, being higher in omega-6, should ideally be paired with omega-3 sources, but the small amount in plant milk is unlikely to upset the ratio significantly. Meta-analyses of trials show no increase in inflammatory markers from higher linoleic acid consumption (source: Lipid World), and overall mortality is not raised by omega-6 intake – one review even found it associated with slightly lower all-cause mortality (sources: UQ Public Health, UQ Public Health).