Why oat drink is better than dairy (and good brands)
Oat drink (we’re not allowed to call it ‘milk’ anymore- more on that below) is one of the most popular plant-based alternative to dairy. And it’s also the most local (though in theory we could grow and make hemp drink).
Although other plant mylks are fine too, some have issues (almonds have to be organic and European to avoid harming bees in California, coconut milk tastes too strong in your coffee and other mylks are too obscure to find (pea).
And of course soy is good, but only if organic and not the beans are not sourced from rainforests.
Whereas oat drink (which also has some protein but you’ll have to get the rest from food) can be grown here, and also give farmers jobs via transfarmation (this is when they are given seeds and help to transition over to growing oats for the lucrative drinks industry, and let animals live out their lives in peace. Family farms are kept, animals are saved and more profits are made.
Oat drink isn’t a replacement for infant formula (speak to your GP or midwife about dairy alternatives. Also keep it away from pets, as ingredients like nuts and chocolate can harm).
Read more on food safety for people & pets.
The main benefits of oat drink
- Oat drink makes creamy drinks. It’s naturally thick and creamy, so best choice for shops selling cappuccinos and hot chocolates.
- Oat drink has healthy fibre. Just like porridge, it contains soluble fibre. But animal-derived proteins and fats are also inflammatory, which is bad as high cholesterol (which no plant food has).
- You can get calcium from other foods. We are often told that we must drink dairy for calcium. But in fact, many plant foods are high in calcium and protein (oats are low in calcium unless in a fortified drink), but calcium is easy to get elsewhere.
Rerooted organic oat drink (in reusable glass bottles)
ReRooted is a wonderful brand of plantmilks, operated by a former dairy vet and former Manchester United footballer (who with his wife founded England’s first zero waste shop in Totnes, Devon).
Everything is sold in reusable glass bottles and delivered locally by electric van, then collected and washed – just like an old-fashioned milk float.
This is a rich creamy drink made with organic oats, filtered water, a little sunflower oil and Cornish sea salt. There is also a barista version, and Cold Brew Oat Latte (sweetened with date syrup).
Find local stockists. If ordering from Abel & Cole, screw dry lids back on tightly, then leave them beside your organic veg boxes.
If adding plants or flowers to orders, read about pet-friendly gardens and how to stop birds flying into windows.
Unlike most nut drinks, ReRooted versions are made with organic nuts to avoid issues with monocultures (which can create hive collapse for bees due to pesticide use, stress and parasites). A lot of plantmilks are also low in nuts and coconut (ReRooted are 6.5 to 7% nut or 10% coconut).
Oato (oat drink from Lancashire in glass bottles)
Oato is an oat drink brand, born in Lancashire and sold online at Milk & More. In glass bottles, with strawberry, coffee and chocolate flavours.
Due to logistics, the supermarket version is in poly bottles (easily recycled at kerbside). Sold in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Booths and via Ocado.
Toats Mylk (from Hampshire)
Toats Mylk (Hampshire) is another oat drink sold in returnable glass bottles, ordered via a veg box scheme, with taps on wholesale boxes. It also offers a ‘bag in a box’ for dipensing for eateries.
Overherd (affordable oat drink powder)
Overherd is an oat drink powder that you buy online. Mix with water, to make your own affordable oat drink (also idea if you don’t live near an oat drink stockist or have no fridge). This is great, because you are not paying to ship water, and an ideal standby, if good quality oat drink is not sold in local shops.
You can also buy a glass bottle with pourable spout, for when out and about. And a travel tin with a bamboo lid that holds 1kg of Overherd oat drink powder.
Oatly (single-serve drinks for hotels/restaurants)
Oatly offers single-serve drinks sachets for commercial use (offices, cafes, hotels, restaurants etc). You could of course just pour from glass bottles, but these are better than single-serve dairy plastic sachets.
Each box includes 100 pyramid-shaped drinks that are easy to squeeze and can be stored at room temperature for several months.
Oatly’s court case with the dairy industry
Recently, Dairy UK won a court case against Oatly, to stop it using the words ‘milk’, so now all such beverages must be called ‘oat drink’. The argument is that ‘consumers don’t get confused’, though most of us are intelligent enough to know that this decisions is more for pandering to lobbyists.
Most dairy milk is not from free-range cows. And considering livestock farming is a huge emittor of greenhouse gases, it’s strange how government wants to limit the use of plant drinks.
The same happened in Sweden, when Oatly was taken to court by the Swedish dairy board. It caused so much good publiciity and increased sales, that the founder said he wished they’d taken him to court years ago!
Milktopz (silicone reusable milk bottle tops)
Milk Topz offers silicone lids for keeping milk (and orange juice) fresh, without need for disposable metal tops. There are also lids for yoghurt and cream.
The airtight seals stops leaks and smells, and the bottles can even be stacked horizontally in the fridge. You can use different tops to colour-code different milks. Then clean in the dishwasher.
Dip Tops are similar, for items like hummus. Although they say to use over opened tinned food (including pet food), opened tinned food should be transferred into covered containers in the fridge.
Before recycling tins, remove and pop lids inside, or pop ring-pulls back over holes (step on upper cans to pinch inner rims before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
Milky Plant (make your own plant drink!)
Milky Plant (ships worldwide) is one of the better inventions to make homemade ‘mylks’. Don’t rely on homemade drinks for nutrition, but they’re great for drinking and cooking/baking.
Avoid unpasteurised drinks of any kind (including juice) for pregnancy/nursing, children and weak immunity.
This plastic-free device is expensive, but makes a good investment for large families, shared households, restaurants and hotels. And can be sent back for recycling at end of use (several years away).
To use, just fill with nuts, seeds or grains, pour clean water in the tank, then touch the button. Ready in 3 minutes. Then just add water, press the button and it cleans itself.
For oat drink, this works out at around 42p compared to £2.10 for store-bought oat drink. You can also use it for hot mylk to make drinks like hot chocolate for customers or guests. And buy optional glass storage bottles.
Why are people giving up dairy?
Both factory-farmed and sometimes free-range dairy cows suffer, as in most cases, the calves are removed from their mothers at a young age (often killed or used to make veal). Cows and their calves have some of the strongest relationships in the animal kingdom.
Even if cows are grass-fed, often they suffer forced insemination, inferior winter care and high disease.
