FOOD NEWS
What's The Nutritional Difference Between Oat Milk And Almond Milk?
By Heidi Chaya
Alternative dairy products have become popular over the years, and many consumers have chosen them over cow’s milk for various reasons. Almond and oat milk are the top choices, and though they appear alike and are used similarly, they are different in terms of ingredients, nutrition, and texture.
Oat milk is made with the grains of cereal grass that are processed, mixed with water, and strained; also, it is thicker and sweeter than almond milk and is often sold as coffee creamer as it froths well. Oat milk has more protein, fat, and fiber than almond milk but tends to have more calories and carbohydrates, making it less suitable for calorie-controlled and low-carb diets.
Almond milk is made from ground almonds and water, tastes somewhat nutty, and is not as rich as oat milk — making it better for smoothies and non-dessert dishes. Although almond milk has fewer calories and carbs, with high amounts of beneficial unsaturated fats and antioxidant vitamin E, it has a deeper carbon footprint as almonds are water-intensive crops.
Overall, oat milk and almond milk have less protein than cow’s milk and must be fortified to compensate for their absence of the vitamins and minerals of conventional dairy milk. Some brands or almond and oat milk may also add sugar and potentially problematic plant-based additives like guar gum and carrageenan.