You’re probably familiar with popular non-dairy milk alternatives like soy, almond, cashew, and coconut milk, but recently, oat milk has become the darling of those who eschew dairy in their diets.
Oat milk is packed with nutrition and it is one of the easiest ways to add it to your diet. It is a specialized form of milk, made with steel-cut oats. The steel-cut oats are soaked in water and then blended. After which, it is mixed and strained to result in a heavy, foamy type of milk. This oat milk is rich in flavour and is high in nutrients. Though it does not have the same amount of nutrients as goat’s milk or cow’s milk, oat milk has a different nutrient profile that appeals to some people.
The nutritional information of oat milk includes calcium, vitamin A, fibre and iron. You will be surprised to know that oat milk possesses twice as much vitamin A as cow’s milk. It also contains iron, which is 10 per cent more than cow’s milk. Oat milk is low in fat and contains zero cholesterol. 1 cup of oat milk approximately contains 1 gram of protein and 130 calories.
Benefits: Oat Milk & Weight Loss
Benefits of drinking oat milk
• Each cup contains a whole host of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B12, D, iron, and important macronutrients like fiber and protein.
• Oat milk comfortably beats other non-dairy options like nut milk and coconut milk, although if you’re looking for an extra protein boost, soy milk does trump oat milk in that department.
• Believe it or not, oat milk actually contains more bone-strengthening calcium than cow’s milk and virtually no fat in comparison: a mere 2.5 grams per cup versus 8 grams in cow’s milk and zero cholesterol.
• Because it’s low in calories (130 per cup), fat, and sugar but high in protein and has fiber, oat milk is a great milk substitute if you’re trying to shed a few pounds.
• It’s an ideal solution for anyone out there who is lactose intolerant, has nut allergies or is concerned about hormone use in dairy milk.
Ingredients
• 1 cup oats (100 g)
• 3–4 cups water (750 ml-1 l)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1–2 tbsp Stevia extract or 1–2 Medjool dates (optional)
• A pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
1)Soaking
Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes. I usually soak them overnight, but that’s not necessary. This brief step is worth the effort! After soaking, your oats will blend up better and strain out more easily.
2) Rinsing
Drain the oats and rinse them. Discard the soaking water. This ensures that your oat milk has a nice, clean flavour and creamy (not slimy) texture.
3) Adding
Add the oats, 3 to 4 cups of clean water (750 ml-1 litres) and all the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your oat milk. We’re going to add the water in two equal batches. You’ll also add a tsp of stevia, vanilla extract, and the teeniest pinch of salt to enhance the milk’s flavour.
4) Blending
This will take a minute, but even cheap blenders should be up for the job of smooth texture. Then, add the remaining water and blend again.
5) Straining
Pour the mixture over a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. The sieve will catch any stubborn oat bits that refused to blend into creamy oblivion. Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nut milk bag.
For best flavour, chill your oat milk for at least 30 minutes before serving.
WAYS TO USE OAT MILK + TIPS
Homemade oat milk works great in baked goods, smoothies or beverages.
So many things! Oat milk goes well with everything. Drink it plain, sweetened, flavour with cocoa or even add it to your coffee or tea to make a healthy and delicious hot beverage for the cold winter days!
When adding a sweetener to your oat milk I recommend organic honey or stevia rather than a date. Because the blend time is so short, a pitted date may not fully blend into the liquid.
Is oat milk good in hot beverages?
Oat milk thickens and gets creamy when heated, which is why it’s perfect for lattes and coffee. It tastes very similar to a dairy latte because of this reason. It also has a slightly sweet taste similar to milk which is why oat milk lattes have become a popular dairy-free latte option in recent years
DISCOVERING LATTES
I’ve also come up with 5 different combinations of Calming Lattes that Help Your Body to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Oat milk is one of the most popular plant-based milk. It’s light and tasty, but it’s hard to find store-bought oat milk that is not full of sugar and chemicals.
By making it at home, you’ll make sure that your drink contains only natural and healthy ingredients, and it’ll also be much more affordable!
By Priyanshi Bhatnagar
Also read: Reasons to Try Overnight Oats, According to Science
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