Full-fat milk is back and it could be healthier than oat, soya and low-fat alternatives

For years, full-fat cow’s milk – once the undisputed king of the British breakfast table – has been in exile. First, it was villainised for its fat content, then unceremoniously dumped in favour of plant-based pretenders. Oat, almond, soy – the new darlings of the milk aisle – elbowed it out of flat whites up and down the country. But something’s changing. The tide is turning, and the white stuff is flowing back into fashion.

According to Waitrose, searches for “full-fat milk” have skyrocketed by 417 per cent in the past month alone. Tesco reports an 8 per cent rise in whole milk sales, while plant-based alternatives have taken a 2 per cent dip. After years of being sold skimmed and semi-skimmed as the better options, consumers are returning to full-fat milk – and they want it unadulterated, not the watery, stripped-back versions peddled as healthier for decades. So, is cow’s milk back in vogue?

At the heart of this shift is a broader reckoning with ultra-processed foods (UPFs). “The growing awareness of ultra-processed food in our diets has seen many customers seeking the basics and embracing a much simpler approach to their diet,” says Maddy Wilson, director of Waitrose Own Brand.

After years of being told that low fat meant good health, consumers are waking up to the fact that stripping food of its natural components might not have been the answer after all. And nowhere is this shift more visible than in the dairy aisle.

One of the loudest critics of low-fat dairy is Professor Tim Spector. The gut health guru has been calling time on fat phobia for years. “The idea that you should swap full-fat dairy for low-fat is rubbish,” he said on his podcast, ZOE Science & Nutrition. “If you take the fat out, what you’re left with is a food that’s more processed, less satisfying and not necessarily healthier.”

It’s not just milk under the microscope – plant-based alternatives are, too. “We need to be honest about how processed some of these alternatives are,” says Spector. “It’s not just oats and water – you’re looking at a list of ingredients that often includes industrially refined vegetable oils and gums.” In other words, the so-called “cleaner” option isn’t always so squeaky clean.

This shift in perception also comes with a broader re-evaluation of dietary fats. For decades, saturated fat was the dietary villain, blamed for rising rates of heart disease. However, recent research has complicated that picture. A 2018 study in The Lancet found that people who consumed more dairy fat actually had a lower risk of heart disease than those who avoided it. Other studies suggest full-fat dairy might even help with weight management, since it’s more satiating and could curb overall calorie intake.

Nutritionist and dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine believes dairy fat has been unfairly demonised. “Full-fat milk contains more calories and saturated fat, which may be beneficial for those needing more energy,” she says. “However, for those managing weight or cardiovascular risk factors, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk may be a better option.” The takeaway? It depends on the individual – but the blanket rejection of full-fat milk now seems outdated.

Of course, the biggest shake-up to the dairy industry in the past decade has been the meteoric rise of plant-based alternatives. Almond, soy, oat – they’ve all had their moment in the sun, marketed as the healthier, more sustainable alternatives. But new research is poking holes in that narrative.

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Nutritionally, cow’s milk remains tough to beat. It’s naturally rich in calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine – nutrients often lacking in plant-based alternatives unless they’re fortified. “Apart from soy, most plant-based milks don’t match the nutritional profile of cow’s milk,” says Professor Ian Givens from the University of Reading. “They tend to be lower in protein and often don’t contain significant amounts of iodine, potassium or magnesium.” While some consumers may prefer the taste or digestibility of plant-based options, the idea that they’re inherently healthier is increasingly up for debate.

And then there are the health warnings. A study by Southern Medical University, analysing data from over 350,000 UK Biobank participants, found that those who drank semi-skimmed cow’s milk had a 12 per cent lower risk of depression and a 10 per cent lower risk of anxiety compared to non-milk drinkers. Meanwhile, plant-based milk drinkers saw none of these benefits. Researchers believe this could be down to calcium’s role in serotonin production – the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood.

Then there’s the issue of blood sugar. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that oat-based drinks can cause glucose spikes similar to those seen after drinking a can of fizzy drink. That’s because processing breaks down the oat starches into simple sugars, leading to rapid glucose absorption. For those trying to manage their blood sugar levels, this could be problematic.

Still, plant-based milks have their defenders. Many see them as a stepping stone toward a healthier diet – a way to cut back on UPFs or avoid dairy for ethical reasons. And, while plant-based alternatives might not always match cow’s milk nutritionally, they can provide variety in the diet and work well for those who are lactose intolerant or cutting down on saturated fat. The key is making informed choices, rather than assuming “plant-based” automatically means “healthier”.

We haven’t even talked about the main USP of plant-based alternatives. For years, consumers were told they were the sustainable choice – a way to slash carbon footprints and save the planet. But, as with most things, the reality is more complicated.

Almond milk, for instance, is an environmental nightmare – a single litre requires 6,098 litres of water to produce. Soy farming has been linked to deforestation, while oat production, though widely seen as sustainable, can be pesticide-heavy. And yes, while a 2018 study in Science found that cow’s milk produces nearly three times the greenhouse gas emissions of plant-based alternatives, not all dairy is created equal.

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Enter regenerative farming. Trewithen Dairy is one of the companies attempting to clean up milk’s environmental record, launching Regen Milk, sourced from farms using regenerative agricultural techniques. “Regenerative farming is an agricultural approach focused on improving and revitalising soil health, biodiversity, water cycles and ecosystem resilience,” says Francis Clarke, chief procurement officer at Trewithen. “By implementing practices such as diverse cropping systems, maintaining living roots, minimising soil disturbance and integrating livestock, regenerative farming enhances soil functions and supports below-ground biodiversity.”

If regenerative dairy farming can scale up, it may offer a credible alternative to both conventional dairy and plant-based alternatives, providing a third way for sustainability-conscious consumers. “Healthy soil is the foundation of life,” says Clarke. “It grows our food, sustains farming communities and plays a vital role in tackling climate change. As the second-largest carbon sink after the ocean, soil captures more carbon than all the world’s plants combined.”

So, is cow’s milk officially back in fashion? The numbers say yes, at least for now. But beyond trends, the conversation around milk is evolving. We’re moving beyond simplistic narratives – “dairy is bad,” “plant-based is best” – and into a more nuanced understanding of food, health and sustainability. Whether it’s nostalgia, health benefits or the backlash against UPFs, one thing’s certain: the white stuff isn’t going anywhere.