Have you ever found yourself at several different grocery stores each week to pick up certain products from certain stores? But this week I happened to stumble into Trader Joes, MOMs and Whole Foods- In these locations picking up a quart of oat milk. When I saw these brands in qin my fridge I was curious to see if how different or identical they were to each other.
You would think all oat milks are the same — but made by different companies they vary in nutrition content. Unlike nut milks — which have protein in them — (think almond milk, cashew milk, quinoa milk, flax milk, coconut milk) oats are just soluble fiber and carbohydrates. Home-made oat milk is literally just water and oats. The www.minimalistbaker.com describes how to make oat milk. Combining 1C rolled oats and 4 C water leads to 4 servings. Water and oats are blended in a high-speed blender and drained through a clean cotton dishtowel. The product is strained twice to remove excess starch. Over-blending can result in slimy milk.
Oat milk is full of soluble fiber or beta-glutens which can offer heart health benefits. The brands compared here have added vitamins and minerals compared to home-made oat milk.
Comparing the brands – Oatly Oat milk has more calories but also, more importantly, more calcium compared to Trader Joe brand. Silk Oat Yeah Oatmilk contains the most calcium, B12, and has the least calories and sugar compared to the other two brands. Calcium is a mineral so important for bone health that having it appear in oat milk is a bonus in the form of di and tricalcium phosphate or calcium carbonate. Comparing these brands cannot guarantee they are soy-free or nut-free depending on how the facilities process and package each milk.
Compared to nut-milks – oat milk is lower in protein also it is important to check on the labels if the oat milk is certified gluten-free as some products not certified may not be appropriate for celiacs. Note that oat milk is expensive and it is much cheaper to make at home. On the other hand, commercial oat milks are enriched with added nutrients making them a better nutrition source versus home-made oat milk. My choice is Silk Oat Yeah Oatmilk for the 350 mg calcium in one cup! This brand though may not be gluten-free and is made in facilities with nuts!