With all of the different types of milk available at your local supermarkets and coffee shops, it can be hard to decide which one is the best type of milk for you personally. Each milk tastes different and unique, while still keeping the classic milk texture, thickness, and white color that we’re all used to seeing. However, each type of milk comes from a different place and is created in different ways. So where does oat milk fall into this?
Where does oat milk come from?
Oat milk is made entirely out of whole grain oats. The process of making oat milk can be a bit complicated, as this isn’t like the oatmeal that you get at the market. These oats are ground up into powder before they are mixed with any kind of liquid to prevent any sticking together. This mixture is then passed through cheese cloth to remove the plant fibers, resulting in a smooth and creamy beverage.
Because the oats are crushed into powder and then mixed with liquid after, there are plenty of options to buy oat milk with different flavors added. The most common flavors that are available for you to choose are: Chocolate, vanilla, unsweetened, and sweetened
Does oat milk contain lactose?
Because oat milk is made from whole grain oats, it does not contain any lactose. This means that you can freely drink oat milk without getting a majorly upset stomach after the fact. If you do have stomach pain after drinking oat milk, make sure there are no other ingredients added that affect your health. But if you are lactose intolerant, you should be able to drink oat milk with no backlash.
Can you drink oat milk if you are allergic to dairy?
Just like the lactose, this type of milk is completely free of all diary. This means that if you are allergic to diary, whether it is severe or mild, you can drink oat milk without having to look for your medication.
Diary and lactose are two things that are really only found in cow milk. Oat milk is the product of a grain and cannot contain any real diary or lactose, because those are not things that are found in grains.
What are the key differences between oat milk and other milk options?
The only milk that can truly be compared to oat milk is almond milk. Both of these are made from plant based material and have a lot of the same flavor options. The difference between these two milks can be hard to spot because of how similar they are. However, almond milk is higher in vitamins and protein than oat milk is, and oat milk contains more carbohydrates than other types of plant-derived milk products. Other than that, the two are very similar. Other than almond milk, no other milk really compares to oat.
Is oat milk good for you?
This is all what it comes down to, is oat milk goo for you, and should you drink it? The answer is up to you. If you like the way oat milk tastes, you can drink it without guilt as long as you buy from a brand that does not include pesticides in their product. Pesticide-free oat milk isn’t going to ruin your diet, and it isn’t going to cause you any health issues. It is a very healthy milk option, but it might not offer you as much protein or vitamins as other milk options.