Do you know your coconut cappuccino from your flax milk frappe?
Sections
- Milk alternatives
- Soy milk (or soya milk, they’re the same thing)
- Almond milk
- Oat milk
- Hazelnut milk
- Coconut milk
- Cashew milk
- Macadamia milk
- Rice milk
- Hemp milk
- Quinoa milk
- Flax milk
- Pea milk
- Other plant-based milks (spelt, walnut, sesame, chestnut, peanut, tiger nut, blended)
- Goats' milk
- Sheeps' milk
- Lactose-free milk
Milk alternatives
When you wake up, what’s the first thing you think of? For me, it’s my morning latte.
Milk is a staple in our diets, we use in tea, coffee, cereal, smoothies, cooking, all largely within the first few hours of the day. Which means the rising trend in milk alternatives can’t have eluded you. You’ve seen them sliding into Costa’s menu and onto Tesco’s shelves. With options like cashew, hemp and quinoa, going to pick up a pint of milk has taken on a whole new meaning.
Some people don’t consume dairy milk because they're lactose intolerant, lead a vegan lifestyle or are concerned about the environment. But more people are opting for change just because they like variety and enjoy the taste of milk alternatives. With great options available, a coconut milk latte can be smoother and creamier than the real deal.
Most milk alternatives are basically a suspension of ground nuts, soy, oats, etc, in water, so when you add them to coffee there is a chance they will curdle. During the review we didn't have this problem with any of the nut milks we tested, probably due to stability regulators in the products. If you do find a separation problem, particularly with homemade nut milks, you could get around it in two ways: by heating the milk up slowly – have it in the cup first then slowly drizzle coffee after – or buy barista variety.
However, not all milk alternatives were created equal. They have different flavours and costs, some curdle, some don’t, some can be made at home or are great to cook with, some are full of vitamins and minerals, others sugar and additives, and their crops all have differing environmental impact – it’s a lot to think about.
At loveFOOD we aren’t doctors or health experts, so if you’re looking to make a drastic dietary change speak to a professional. However, if you're looking to dip your toes into the pool of the milk alternatives, we've got the lowdown on where each comes from, what they taste like and what they can do for you.
Soy milk (or soya milk, they’re the same thing)
Almond milk
Oat milk
Hazelnut milk
Coconut milk
Cashew milk
Macadamia milk
Rice milk
Hemp milk
Quinoa milk
Flax milk
Pea milk
Other plant-based milks (spelt, walnut, sesame, chestnut, peanut, tiger nut, blended)
Goats' milk
Sheeps' milk
Lactose-free milk