Looking for plant-based alternatives to milk? Here are a few options you could consider. To be sure, we are spoiled for choice at the moment. As per The New York Times, “While cow’s milk is still the most popular according to retail sales, nondairy alternatives hit an estimated $2.95 billion last year, up 54 percent from five years earlier, according to the market research firm Mintel.” This means that there’s potential for growth and exciting opportunities. As for me, I look forward to seeing even more variety and deliciousness. I love to use plant-based milk on their own or in cooking or baking – the milks below are a case in point 🙂
- Oatsome
Did you know that oats are one of the most sustainable grains on the planet and require considerably less water to grow than other crops? BetterBody Foods has recently expanded its line of oat-based products with heart-healthy additions suitable for those with gluten sensitivities or looking to move away from dairy. I tested Oatsome, their flagship organic oat milk.
Oatsome has a silky-smooth texture with a rich sweetness and no artificial ingredients. I love that it is light tasting and perfectly pourable thanks to its clever packaging, which also makes this milk perfect for long-term storage.
I drank Oatsome on its own and I also used it to make Bircher muesli.
I mixed organic oats with grated Fuji apple and soaked them in oat milk. I added carob, coconut chips, and fresh fruit, and sweetened a tad more with wildflower honey & honeycomb. The oat milk in combo with the fresh juice from the apple made up a creamy, velvety concoction which enveloped the other ingredients to create a flavor-packed, texturally pleasing delight. Sooo good!
Breakfast in Switzerland? Not at the moment- but I did love to travel virtually, on this particular occasion, thanks to Oatsome 🙂
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Koita
Koita Foods has recently launched its complete line of shelf-stable, premium Italian plant-based milks, which are available online and in an expanding list of retailers throughout the US. The company was founded by American expat Mustafa Koita, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Chicago, an entrepreneur and father of three with a mission to bring superior healthy products to families across the Middle East and Asia. In 2013, he started the company out of Dubai, UAE. Seven years later, as the U.S. launch kicks off, Koita products are available in 10 other countries worldwide.
Koita’s seven plant-based milks are non-dairy, vegan, non-GMO, and free of carrageenan. They are made with ingredients grown in the Italian Alps, which boasts one of the purest soils in the world. Indeed, the main ingredients are ethically sourced from family farms in Italy, with the exception of the coconuts, which come from Thailand. Koita is also sustainable, with TetraPak packaging that is recyclable and shipments that arrive by sea to ensure a lower carbon footprint.
Koita is excited to collaborate with Project Green Schools, a non-profit organization that works to develop the next generation of environmental leaders through education, project-based learning and community service in the US and around the world. This new partnership will engage students in a service-learning project focused on green and healthy living.
All of the Koita milks I have tried have worked great in baking. I recently used Koita to make the decadent bread pudding below, which featured 3 kinds of milk and juicy sour cherries, and was topped with blood orange, chopped almonds, and Fabbri‘s superb amarena. Instead of my “usual” coconut milk I used Koita’s fresh, creamy, and clean tasting organic almond+coconut milk, which has won the Specialty Food Association SOFI Award for the best new product in the plant-based milk category. Having sampled this milk, I can see why it has got such a prestigious award: its light, pure flavor was enhanced by the silkiness of its texture, and the milk was perfectly luscious, and utterly delicious. So light, so airy, such a joy to the palate!
Koita’s full line of plant-based milks is currently rolling out in the Northeast. All flavors are also available online at Amazon and on Koita’s website.
- Good Karma
Good Karma recently contacted me on Instagram and offered to send me coupons to try out their products. I instantly got excited because I love flax seeds 🙂
Good Karma makes a variety of gluten-, nut- and soy-free flax milks which are non-GMO verified and packed with Omega-3s (8g protein and 1200mg Omega-3s per serving!) The flax seeds are sourced from North America, and their products are free of any animal by-products, making them a good option for vegan diets. Arguably the most important feature that grabbed my attention was the Glyphosate-Residue Free certification. Having studied the impact of glyphosate on crops extensively as of late, I have found this certification particularly important as a guarantee of product safety and social responsibility.
I used Good Karma’s Flaxmilk + Protein Vanilla milk to make one of my favorite quick and easy desserts this summer: fruity semolina parfait!
Good Karma’s flax milk has a smooth and creamy texture and a nutty taste, and it worked great as a substitute for cow’s milk in my beloved semolina pudding. I colored the pudding naturally, with elderberry powder, and I served it layered with fresh seasonal fruit and chopped pistachio for texture. A perfect A – what a treat!
Do you use plant-based milks in your cooking? Let me know in the comments 🙂
*Disclaimer: While I received complimentary products to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed here are my own.
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