Is Oat Milk Better than Almond Milk?

It’s iced latte season. Ever since Soy Milk, there doesn’t seem to be an end to the revolving door of milk alternatives that inevitably get discarded for one reason or another. Today it’s oat milk. There is a behavioral tendency to assume revised versions of a product are “new and improved” (looking at you Apple). As it stands, oat milk isn’t nutritionally terrible, but it’s not better than dairy or any of the previous dairy substitutes.

So, what do we know about oat milk?

The main thing to know is that oat milk has a way higher carb and calorie count compared to dairy and alternatives. One cup of oat milk is about 100-130 calories while coconut or almond milk are 30-40 calories.

Milk is one of the most fraudulent grocery items, and milk alternatives are no exception. It is easy to add in surprising ingredients and labeling restrictions are loose. For example, the flavor label “Original” is a sweetened vanilla flavor, instead of plain and unsweetened. Oat milk is higher in natural sugars than other options, and then there’s the added sugar that is found in most grocery options.

Oat milk, like most dairy and dairy alternatives, is usually fortified with extra vitamins and extra processes. It’s possible to make your own natural DIY oat milk at home, but either way, the process strips any nutritional content of the oats.

At the end of the day, it’s not going to make or break healthy eating to add a splash of oat milk to coffee, but as a milk replacement, the older options are better. Oat milk is definitely not any healthier than all of the milk alternatives on the shelves.

Do you drink hot coffee year-round, iced coffee year-round, or is your coffee seasonally appropriate? Email it in.