When you walk into any grocery store, you will find a lot of plant milk on the shelves. As people continue to abandon dairy products and switch to non-dairy, vegan milk, the ongoing discussion about which plant-based milk is the healthiest continues. However, not only in plant milks, but also in processed vegan products, there is an elephant-like ingredient that is beginning to receive more scrutiny: oil.
Many plant milks-soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, hemp milk, etc.-you will find in grocery stores contain oil. The reason is that the oil acts as an emulsifier, helping the ingredients hold together and get a creamy texture. The common oils you can find in the vegan milk that you buy in the store are sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.
"Oil can increase the calories in plant milk without adding a lot of nutrients," said Nicole Osinga, R&D and personal nutrition consultant. "Some oils may be more likely to cause inflammation, including more omega 6, which can exacerbate inflammation in the body." Although vegetable milk usually contains a small amount of oil, it is still an ingredient that needs attention, Osinga pointed out. Scan the label and It’s a good idea to see where the oil is in the ingredient list—the higher the list, the more oil there is.
Lon Ben-Asher, nutrition expert and educator at Pritikin Health Experts, believes that it is a good practice to pay attention to the ingredient list when buying plant-based milk and avoid oil and excessive salt and sugar. "Ideally, the only ingredients should be filtered water and plant-based substances, such as flax, oats, almonds, soy or rice," Ben-Asher said, especially when people focus on losing weight, avoid adding extra calories but Ingredients with no nutritional value are important.
However, you need to weigh the pros and cons when choosing plant-based milk. For some people, it may be more important to drink plant milk rich in calcium, vitamin D, B12 and protein...even though it may contain some oil or higher calorie content. Therefore, the choice of plant-based milk may depend on its nutritional content, especially where you obtain other nutrients to meet daily recommendations.
However, if you try to avoid the use of oil in packaged products such as vegetable milk, some products do not use any oil at all. We have collected plant-based brands that produce plant-based milk that does not actually contain any oil.
Elmhurst 1925 is a plant-based milk company that proudly does not use any oil in its milk. Elmhurst has a variety of plant-based milks to choose from, from oats to almonds to soybeans, etc., as well as flavored seasonal creamers. You can find them in local stores or order them online. In addition, a nice benefit is that their products are shelf stable. If you are looking for a delicious plant-based milk with a simple ingredient list (two to six ingredients, depending on the product), Elmhurst may be perfect for you. In addition, all its plant-based milks are vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO.
The plant milk produced by Malibu Mylk does not contain glyphosate and is based on flaxseed. For one of their outstanding products, Flax + Oat Milk, they use organic, glyphosate-free, gluten-free oats mixed with whole ground flaxseed. Flax is a plant whose seeds contain a lot of fiber and are a nutrient-rich food source. Malibu Mylk is also free of allergens. Their milk is also shelf stable and easy to order online or pick up at your local store (available in specific stores).
MALK is another vegan milk with very few ingredients-all its milk is made with organic ingredients and does not use any gums, emulsifiers or oils. Without any artificial ingredients, just clean simple ingredients, you can choose oat milk or almond milk. You can find MALK in your local grocery store.
GOODMYLKCO. Make small packages of almond milk concentrate. Just add water, mix and enjoy. Using plant milk concentrate may sound unnatural, but this is actually a clean milk, and you won’t find oil, gums, artificial flavors or fillers in it. They also have a powdered vegan milk mixture, which is clean and delicious. You can order their milk online and find it in a specific grocery store.
TÁCHE produces pistachio milk, which may sound strange, but it is actually very tasty, clean and environmentally friendly, because pistachios require very little water to grow. Pistachio is grown on one of the oldest flowering nut trees. It has a history of more than 9,000 years. It is rich in flavor, vitamins and antioxidants. Find Tache online and in designated stores.
New Barn Organics uses organic almonds from a small Spanish producer cooperative to make almond milk. They are cultivated in dry farming, which the company says means less water is used and the flavor is improved organically. They produce almond and coconut products (organic and non-GMO). New Barn Organics focuses on renewable agriculture and makes clean and simple plant-based milk. You can find and choose a store online.
WestSoy has existed for more than 35 years and has always been loyal to what they do best: soy milk. WESTSOY Organic Plus Soy Milk is made from all organic soybeans and is rich in vitamins A and D, calcium and antioxidant vitamin E. WestSoy is a tried-and-tested soy milk that is truly self-stable. You can find WestSoy in certain markets.