To compare the benefits and drawbacks of cow and goat milk, mbg spoke with registered dietitians. Here’s what they have to say about the two dairy drinks. Both goat and cow milk are also naturally high in calcium, unlike most alt-milks, which require fortified nutrients to compare. “Both types of milk provide about one-third of our daily needs for calcium,” registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN, tells mbg. “Few other foods provide this benefit.” Each dairy beverage is high in vitamins A and D, as well as minerals, like magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. “In terms of nutrients, you can swap out cow’s milk for goat’s milk easily,” registered dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, says. “You can also find goat milk cheese, yogurt, and powdered milk.” They differ more significantly in terms of taste. “While cow’s milk is fairly neutral, goat’s milk has a distinctive ‘farmy’ flavor that can take some getting used to,” Largeman-Roth says. “You may want to introduce it to kids in a smoothie versus a glass of milk.” Goat milk may also be easier to digest than cow’s milk because of the size of the fat globules. “While the amount of total fat is the same,” Largeman-Roth explains, “the size of the fat globules in goat’s milk are smaller than those in cow’s milk and are easier for the digestive system to handle.” Goat milk is also slightly lower in natural sugars (aka lactose), which may make it easier to digest for people with a lactose intolerance. While goat milk may be beneficial for adults, Stefanski says it’s not necessarily better for babies. Before an infant turns 1, they should only drink breast milk or formula. After that, however, she says if a child has an allergy to cow’s milk, they’ll also most likely be intolerant to goat’s milk, buffalo milk, or camel’s milk. In this case, the child may benefit more from fortified plant-based milks.
