Creamy, healthy, and sustainable oat milk
Milk and milk products are a staple of everyday life in much of the world. Even if you don’t drink a tall glass at breakfast, eat it with cereal, or splash it in your coffee, you likely have some around to use in recipes or to offer guests.
With the rise of so many dairy alternatives, we’ve learned that cow’s milk and products made with it contribute to climate change at uncomfortable rates. In fact, dairy milk has double or triple the greenhouse gas emissions of most plant-based alternatives, uses ten times more land, and about double the water use of almond milk, the plant milk that uses the most water.
So, why don’t more people make the switch? The key for many is in taste, nutrition, and cost.
After testing out just about every type of plant-based milk, oat milk comes out on top in all of these categories while having one of the lowest environmental footprints of all milk alternatives.
Let’s start with the environmental stats
According to National Geographic, when we compare greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use, oat milk scores well compared to other plant-based milks.
One study “found that compared to dairy it is responsible for 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, 80 percent less land use and 60 percent less energy. It also uses approximately 18 percent of the fresh water rice needs, 13 percent that of almonds, and just 7.5 percent that of dairy.”
Here’s the breakdown according to another article in The New York Times:
Greenhouse gas emissions: One liter of oat milk contributes less than 1 kilogram of carbon dioxide, as compared to 3.2 kilograms per liter of dairy milk. In terms of other plant-based milk, only almond milk emits less, but almond milk’s water use is much higher.
Land use: Even though the vast majority of oats are grown to feed livestock, they still require far less land than dairy—0.8 square meters per liter of oat milk compared to a whopping 9 square meters per liter of dairy milk.
Water use: Oat milk requires 48 liters of water to produce one liter of milk, which actually sounds bad until you compare that to the 371 liters of water required for one liter of almond milk and the (gasp) 628 liters of water required for dairy milk.
What about the health benefits?
For dairy milk, the key nutrients are protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Oat milk stacks up in two out of three and has added benefits. We’ll tell you upfront that dairy milk has about twice as much protein per serving. The thing is, most Americans are not deficient in protein. Many people are lactose intolerant however and could use a boost of B vitamins, both areas in which oat milk shines.
Oat milk is naturally lactose-free, contains a bit of soluble fiber, and is often fortified with essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
Other key factors: taste and cost
Gallon-for-gallon, plant-based milk can cost more than dairy, especially compared to the least expensive dairy milk on the shelf. When you compare oat milk to organic or more sustainably produced milk, the price difference typically disappears. That said, if cost is your number one concern (and that is REAL), then you might want to consider that oat milk lasts longer in the fridge than dairy milk, which could make it more cost-effective if you can’t use the whole contain quickly enough.
Oat milk is also easy to make which can further reduce the cost and allow you to make just the amount you want to use. We walk you through the recipe here.
In terms of taste, we’ve saved the best for last. Oat milk is thick, creamy, and mild-flavored. It’s easy to warm up with some vanilla and cinnamon or blend into a savory soup. So gather your cookies for dunking and your muesli for splashing.