Oat Milk: What is Oat Milk Made From — And is it Really Milk?
Do you use it as a flavoring or milk alternative?
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My introduction to oat milk came pre-COVID when I visited a small coffee shop in my neighborhood and decided to drink something other than black coffee, which I enjoy. I just wanted a different taste.
I ordered an Americano and the barista told me that oat milk was popular so I tried it. What is really in the beverage and how healthy is it?
Let’s look at the label from a carton of oat milk in my refrigerator.
Ingredients:
Brand: Oat-Ly!
100% vegan with no dairy, no nuts, and no gluten.
Oat base (water, oats) is the first ingredient.
Contains 2 percent or less of low eruic acid rapeseed oil and 10 other ingredients including sea salt, vitamin A, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.
There are 120 calories in one cup.
Okay, since I’m not a dietician or food scientist this doesn’t tell me much.
Another section of the box delves into Oat-Ly’s core beliefs like “The reckless pursuit of profits without any consideration for the well-being of the planet and the humans that live here should be considered a crime.
Okay. It’s marketed with trendy, cultural language.
What is oat milk?
It’s plant-based and made from whole oat grains blended with water and strained.
The Cleveland Clinic describes it as “a popular alternative to cow’s milk (à la almond or soy milk) that’s made from oats, water and sometimes a few additional ingredients.”
And, yes, the FDA says oat milk can be referred to as milk as a plant-based milk alternative. Dig in here to enjoy the details.
How is oat milk made?
Prevention magazine gives us a glimpse into Oat-Ly’s process:
“…they mill a mixture of oats and water and add enzymes to break down the starch. Then, they remove the loose oat shells (also known as oat bran) from the mixture so that all that’s leftover is the fiber (also known as beta-glucans). From…
