Oat Milk: All You Need to Know

The thick, creamy milk made from liquefied oats and water has become increasingly popular in the plant-based milk trend. Dairy-free and vegan, oat milk has become a common preference in coffee shops and grocery stores. Question is, does it really live up to its hype? Here’s all you need to know:

Oat milk contains solid nutrients.

Although the nutritional content varies per brand, an 8 oz. serving of Pacific Foods original oat milk can give you an idea of what you’re getting: 26 grams of carbs, 17 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 133 milligrams of potassium and 121 milligrams of calcium. Total calories would be 130, and it also contains 2 grams of fat and 105 milligrams of sodium. Dairy products and soy, however, contain all essential amino acids, while oat milk does not.

Oat milk has a decent amount of dietary fiber.

What makes this superfood stand out from the rest of the plant-based alts? It has fiber. According to Keri Gans, a dietitian based in New York, it’s unusual for nondairy beverages to contain any fiber.

She added, “Although 2 grams may not seem like a lot at the end of the day, the average consumer is not consuming enough fiber, to begin with, so wherever they can get a little extra is going to make a difference.”

People with food allergies can drink it.

Be it lactose intolerance, nut allergy or soy allergy – oat milk is probably the best option to go for since it also beats other dairy-free alt milk in terms of nutritional content. Gans gave rice milk as an example, which only has one gram of protein and doesn’t have any dietary fiber.

It has more calories than other alt-milk.

Oat milk generally has higher caloric content compared to its plant-based peers, as an 8 oz. serving contains 130 calories – pretty high compared to 35 calories that unsweetened almond milk has. This means having to take a closer look at how it would fit your recommended calorie intake.

Oat milk can have higher sugar content.

It’s because oats contain naturally occurring sugars. Gans cautions on drinking sweetened oat milk because of the added sugar. She added that “If a small amount is simply being used in your morning coffee, then it is not as important to consider sugar.”

The texture is easy to work with.

Oat milk’s texture is similar to that of cow’s milk, according to Leslie Bonci, a sports dietician. It can also be used for baking and cooking. Alex Shein, a barista from Washington, DC said that unlike almond and soy milk, oat milk doesn’t curdle and it doesn’t overpowering effect on the flavor of espresso-based drinks.

You can DIY.

It’s easy and inexpensive – you just need oats, water, a blender and a strainer to separate the solid part from the oats. Sweeteners and flavors can be added, like vanilla extract or cacao powder. It can last up to five days in the fridge.

Source: US News