Have You Used This Tasty Alternative to Milk?

Over the course of the past decade I’ve firmed up my stance on dairy.

I’m not 100% against dairy.

I think that in moderation and when sourced from the correct areas, dairy can be alright for many.

This obviously doesn’t hold true if you’re a person who has a dairy allergy, or, who has opposition to husbandry practices related to modern dairy farming.

And while I believe that grass-fed dairy in the form of cheeses, whey protein, yogurts and the like are OK when consumed sparingly, I’m not a big fan of milk.

The main reason behind my opposition to milk is that it contains casein protein and lactose, two problematic compounds that are behind many of the problems we associate with dairy.

Casein is a protein in dairy that many people can’t digest properly. And lactose, a kind of sugar, is the source of most dairy allergies.

Because milk is such a problem I wanted to write about a new dairy alternative that I’ve seen popping up on store shelves.

It’s called oat-milk, and it’s as nutritious as it is delicious.

Let me show you why oat mik is so great and also give you a recipe you can use to make it.

Why Oat Milk Is So Useful as a Dairy Alternative

If you’ve been paying attention to the dairy-free section of the grocery store then you’ll no doubt have noticed that over the past few years the numbers of products made with oat milk is on the rise.

Where does oat milk come from and why is it so good you may ask?

Those are great questions and I’ll be happy to shed some light on this great dairy-free alternative.

Naturally, as you might guess, oat milk comes from the oat grain. I think oat milk is a great choice for many people as it’s not made of tree nuts and is gluten-free (it’s made from gluten free oats), which are hugely important for people with allergy issues.

Making oat milk is relatively easy. All you have to do is soak and blend steel-cut or rolled oats with water and then pour it through cheesecloth to separate the milk from the oats.

Oat milk has a rich, creamy flavor that is quite similar to regular milk, and many people who enjoy the milk from cows find that oat milk has a similar profile.

It’s also quite nutritious. Although I will note, when oats are separated from the milk, not all the nutrients are transported to the milk.

Still, it’s quite nutritious. Enough so that making it part of your daily routine will add a number of beneficial nutrients into your diet with ease.

Oat milk is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.

One of the main oat milk products sold on the store shelves today boasts the following nutritional profile:

• Calories: 120
• Protein: 3 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Carbs: 16 grams
• Dietary fiber: 2 grams
• Vitamin B12: 50% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Riboflavin: 46% of the DV
• Calcium: 27% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 22% of the DV
• Vitamin D: 18% of the DV
• Vitamin A: 18% of the DV
• Potassium: 6% of the DV
• Iron: 2% of the DV

Only a few of the ingredients in this list were added to the milk, and those are vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. You can see that one 8 oz glass delivers quite a bit of powerful nutrients.

And considering you can make oat milk from home, there’s not a good reason to skip out on making this delicious drink!

How to Make Oat Milk From Home

In the time it takes to read this article you could be on your way to making you own oat milk. 

The first ingredient you’ll need are certified gluten free steel cut or rolled oats (at least if you’re attempting to avoid gluten, otherwise this is a moot point).

Ryan Raman, MS, RD provided these directions on making oat milk:

“To make oat milk, blend one cup (81 grams) of rolled or steel-cut oats with three cups (710 ml) of water. Pour the mixture over cheesecloth to separate the oat milk from the oats.

Once prepared, store it in a glass bottle in your refrigerator for up to five days.

To enhance flavor, try adding either a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla or cinnamon extract, a few dates, maple syrup, or honey.”

That’s it.

With this knowledge you’ll never feel like you’re missing out on dairy and you’ll always have an ice-cold glass of milk on hand ready to enjoy.