Milk, Mylk and Homemade Oat Milk

Is it milk or mylk? For many, it does not seem appropriate to call a non-dairy creamer milk. After all, almonds do not lactate. Mylk, however, elicits a myriad of well-meaning readers to point out the typo.

In fact, “milk” may refer to plant milk, at least in terms of common usage, and includes creamers made from almonds, coconut, oats, hemp, macadamia, and other nuts.  While we can wrangle about semantics, let us stop instead to question if milk alternatives are actually good for you.

I gave up dairy milk quite a while ago and fell in love with macadamia milk—it perfectly balanced the flavors of my Apple-A-Day Cereal, and it is so easy to make. Then, I found almond milk readily available at “trusted” sources like Wholefoods, and that became my go-to milk, until I had a wakeup call. I read the labels more carefully and discovered that most almond milk was only 2% almonds, and included other iffy ingredients. I quickly decided to make my own Almond Milk, and used the precious pulp to make almond meal.

Lately, I have become obsessed with oat milk. At my local coffee shop they use a brand called Oatly , the barista edition—really wonderful in cappuccinos, and macchiatos. When I purchased it to try at home, I had the same success as my local barrister frothing the milk. However, the ingredients are not as pure as Oatly would like you to think. There is rapeseed oil in this milk, a bit of misleading advertising, and so much sugar, it caused one writer to suggest Oatly is the new Coke. 

Bottom line, if you are buying any non-dairy milk, avoid these ingredients:

• Canola oil – a/k/a rapeseed oil often found in oat milks.
• Carrageenan – This thickener is a potential carcinogen. 
• GMOs – One reason, of many, I suggest skipping soymilk.
• Gums such as guar gum – Suspected of causing and aggravating GI issues.
• Sugar – Why avoid cow’s milk, which has no added sugar, only to consume something that has 16 grams (4 teaspoons) of added sugar per serving.

If you are purchasing non-dairy milks, here are a few of my favorite brands:

• Aroy-d Coconut Milk – A BPA-free little box of coconut milk, sold on Amazon. While these are great for making cold or hot soups or to cook with, avoid using coconut milk as your go-to dairy substitute.  According to Dr. Willet and the folks at Harvard it falls into the saturated fat category and therefore should be used sparingly. 

• Elmhurst – Elmhurst uses more nuts than any other brand. Their almond milk has two ingredients: almonds and water.  It contains 5 grams of protein. I only wish it were organic. Their oat milk is equally pure and delicious. They offer milked cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts.

• Malk – An excellent organic option, it contains no soy, gluten, GMOs, carrageenan, or binders.

• Milkadamia – For purists.  When it comes to taste, devotees rave about it.

It is so easy to make your own non-dairy milk. You can use macadamia nuts,  brazil nuts, (excellent for thyroid and brain health) walnuts (packed with omega 3’s!) or almonds, and it is equally as simple to make oat milk, my family’s new favorite. Great for those with nut allergies and it is said to have heart-healthy properties, just like oatmeal. 

Yield: Makes 1 Quart