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Is Oat Milk Healthy?

Oat milk is trendy: the oat-based cereal drink is vegan, lactose-free – and a good alternative to cow’s milk for vegans, for example. But how healthy is the oat drink actually?

More and more people are giving up cow’s milk for health or ethical reasons. Fortunately, there are now many plant-based drinks as an alternative: oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, spelled milk and Co. Oat milk is particularly popular with vegans. And those who cannot tolerate milk have no problems with lactose intolerance when it comes to oat drinks and other grain-based drinks.

Oat milk has now become a real trend drink, it is also often used for cappuccino.

Is Oat Milk Healthy?

Oat milk is a good milk substitute for certain allergy sufferers: it contains no lactose and no milk protein. However, the drink is not suitable for celiac patients and people who have to or want to avoid gluten. Oats themselves do not contain gluten, but cereals containing gluten can be grown on fields as catch crops, and oats can also come into contact with gluten during harvesting and further processing.

Oats also contain filling fiber, which can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and digestion. However, the processed industrial product no longer contains too many nutrients.

According to a US study, grain milk is not suitable as a milk substitute for infants. Grain drinks therefore lack proteins and vitamin B12, which are important for child development.

That is why oat milk is a good milk substitute

Oat milk is a good substitute for cow’s milk because it’s great for cooking and baking.
An oat drink also goes well with coffee. The taste is rather neutral compared to, for example, soy milk or almond milk, some like the grainy aroma. Oat milk is easy to froth and is therefore also suitable for many cappuccino variants.
Oat milk has a good environmental balance: the oats for the drink often (but not always) come from Germany and are often of organic quality. Oats are resistant to weeds, so farmers rarely spray them. Compared to other plant-based drinks, such as almond milk, production also requires less water. No rainforest has to be cleared for oats, as is sometimes the case for soybean cultivation.
However, oat milk also has disadvantages: the drink is almost exclusively available in beverage cartons, which are responsible for a large amount of waste.

How many calories does oat milk have?

The plant-based milk contains only one percent fat – and thus significantly less than conventional cow’s milk. There is still some energy in the milk substitute: 100 milliliters have 42 kilocalories. For comparison: cow’s milk has 64 kilocalories, or 49 kilocalories (low-fat milk).

How do you actually make oat milk?

If you want to make your own oat milk, all you need is oatmeal and water. Soak the flakes for a few hours, then puree the mixture. With the help of a household sieve, you can finally filter out the oat milk. Manufacturers add additives and preservatives to the ready-made milk from the supermarket or drugstore.

Incidentally, providers are not allowed to speak of milk when it comes to the oat drink. The term milk is protected by law. It may only be used for milk from the udders of a cow, sheep, goat or horse. There is only one exception for coconut milk. That is why there is no mention of oat milk on the packaging, the milk substitute is advertised as an oat drink. In everyday language, however, consumers call the oat drink oat milk – after all, it is used like milk.

Oat Milk Test: Which Oat Milk Should I Buy?

If you want to buy an oat drink, you can now find it in almost every supermarket or drugstore. The costs per liter are between 0.99 and 2.50 euros. The good news: In our oat milk test, we can recommend many “very good” oat drinks and have little to complain about overall. There is criticism for superfluous vitamin supplements and controversial phosphate-containing additives.

Tip: When buying, pay attention to the country of origin and production. Oats from German organic cultivation means short transport routes and cultivation without pesticides.

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Written by Jessica Vargas

I am a professional food stylist and recipe creator. Although I am a Computer Scientist by education, I decided to follow my passion for food and photography.

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