I'm not gonna lie to you... I've just recently become aware of the several different varieties of plant based milk. I was scrolling on Twitter when I saw someone post a video of the plant based milk options in their grocery store and was in awe! From unsweetened oat milk to chocolate macadamia milk, there were so many tasty looking options and I knew I wanted to try them all!
Growing up, our household didn't really drink milk by the glass, we mainly used it for recipes or to turn it into chocolate milk, haha! Ok, so it was just me turning it into chocolate milk at home, but you get the point. Cow milk DIDN'T slap. Fast-forward 15 years and I am an avid Almond Milk user and I suddenly find out that it's TERRIBLE for the environment (got me feeling like a phony health conscious citizen lol)! Here's the tea, it takes around 15 GALLONS of water to produce just 16 almonds. That much water usage is extremely damaging to local irrigation!
Since this revelation, I have been trying new (to me) plant based milks with each grocery store haul. Coconut milk was first on the list since I've heard so many positive things about it. Trying this milk didn't drastically change my life. I thought it was good for smoothies and when making ice cream. It has a good creamy taste in my opinion and had a decent after taste. Then was chocolate oat milk. And let me fucking tell you... this is the Queen of all plant based milks. A bad bitch, if you will lmao! I could drink this by the glass, by the carton for all I care! But of course, all good things come with a cost. My sweet sweet Chocolate Oat Milk is 170 calories per cup *rolls out*. Since it was so high, I only used half a cup for my smoothies this week, which made the carton last longer than expected (praise the Lord). 10/10 recommend trying one time for the one time! Since I enjoyed the chocolate oat milk so much, I decided to give regular Oat milk a try. Ladies, i can't even begin to describe the disappointment I experienced, haha! This milk was decent, really good consistency, but the aftertaste didn't sit well with me. So this will just be used for smoothies!
I'm really looking forward to next week, which will be some form of Macadamia Milk! Look for my review on our insta story!
*Most plant based options come either sweetened, unsweetened or even flavored! When grabbing a milk, be sure to look at the nutritional facts, especially if you're going with a flavored options! You truly want to make sure you're getting the right option for you; whether it be based on calories, amount of protein per glass, or even how much sugar is added. Chances are there is a plant based milk with your name on it, just waiting for you to try it out!
Plant Based options & they're qualities:
ALMOND: ~1g protein per cup, low in calories, *can cause digestive issues and bloating
SOY: resembles cow milk the most (lower calories tho), ~8g protein per cup, may come from genetically modified plants
HAZELNUT: <1g protein, excellent source vitamin B, antioxidant queen, and is low in calories
OAT: ~3g protein, great source of vitamins and minerals, ~130 calories, can be high in sugar and a little pricy
CASHEW: <1g protein, low in calories, contains unsaturated fats
HEMP: contains healthy fats, complete protein and is good if you're not a fan of the almond-y flavor
PEA: ~8g protein, around 70 calories, great for those with nut allergies, high in sodium
MACADAMIA: <1g protein, low in calories, good taste, good for coffee
RICE: <1g protein, is naturally sweeter, around 120 calories, high in carbs and has higher inorganic arsenic levels
COCONUT: <1g protein, super low in calories, good source of fiber, high in saturated fats and can also cause digestive issues
FLAX: <2g protein, packed with a lot of nutrients, rich in fiber can be heavily sweetend.
Where can I buy plant based milk?
I would highly recommend trying out your local Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme or any health based foods store.
I'm too nervous buy it, what if I don't like it?!
Lucky for you, a lot of these shops may allow you to try a sample before you actually buy the product! Simply ask an employee what you would like to sample and they almost always let you try it out! I would also try emailing the company directly (like SILK or DREAM) and ask for coupons or free sample coupons!