Is Oat Milk Gluten Free The Answer Is Yes And No
It seems like oat milk is everywhere these days. its found in grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops throughout the U.S. You might be wondering if oat milk gluten free, and if its safe to consume if you have celiac disease and/or follow a gluten-free diet. Well get to the bottom of it all in this article. This article contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosures.
The explosion of dairy-free milk alternatives is hard to ignore. You have almond milk, cashew milk, flax milk, pea milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk and now oat milk on the scene.
Drinking plant-based milk is a much more sustainable way to enjoy milk, and my vegan friends swear by it. The approximately 270 million dairy cows in the world put a lot of wear and tear on our precious planet.
Dairy cows produce greenhouse gas emissions, which have been linked to climate change. Manure and fertilizer has been known to contaminate water supplies, and unsustainable dairy farming coupled with having to produce a lot of food to feed these millions of dairy cows often leads to the loss of prairies, wetlands, and forests.
One study concluded that the impacts of the lowest-impact animal products typically exceed those of vegetable substitutes, providing new evidence for the importance of dietary change.
Outside of the environmental impact of dairy milk is the question of whether or not dairy milk is even good for you.
What Is The Shelf Life Of Almond Milk
You can find some versions of almond milk in the grocery store on a shelf, not refrigerated. Unopened, unrefrigerated, almond milk can be stored in the pantry much longer than opened almond milk. Refer to the best by use date for unopened almond milk. Once almond milk is opened, most almond milk brands are recommended to be consumed within 7-14 days. However, each brand should have specified on the carton when to use by.
To Make Your Own Unsweetened Oat Milk:
To thicken your sauce:
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How To Make Flavored Oat Milk
Adding flavor to oat milk ensures that you never get bored of the same plain taste. You can also optionally add sea salt, dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cacao powder, or berries when blending, but the flavor options are truly endless!
Whether youre looking for a smooth and creamy beverage, or the liquid for you bowl of cereal, here are some tasty combinations for you to try.To make flavored oat milk, add the mix-in during the blending process. The ingredients should be fully blended in order to expel the maximum amount of flavor.When you strain the oat pulp from the liquid, you will also capture any additional additions as well. As a result, you wont end up with chunks of dates or coconut flakes that settles to the bottom of your drink.
- Sweetened: add 2-4 pitted dates
- Chocolate: add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Vanilla: add 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pumpkin spice: add ¼ cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Strawberry: add ½ cup strawberries
- Toasted coconut: add ¼ cup unsweetened shredded toasted coconut
- Turmeric ginger: add 1 tablespoon grated fresh turmeric and 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Many Brands Are Contaminated With Gluten
Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley.
While its safe for most people to eat, it inflames and damages the lining of the small intestine in people with celiac disease and possibly those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Thus, anyone with these conditions must strictly avoid gluten .
Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, because theyre often grown near wheat and processed in facilities that also handle wheat products, theyre frequently cross-contaminated with gluten .
Thus, oat milk is likewise susceptible to contamination.
A Canadian study in 133 oat samples discovered that 88% were contaminated with more than 20 parts per million of gluten the general cutoff for a food to be considered gluten-free (
If you cant consume gluten, you should only buy oat milk thats certified gluten-free.
summary
Although naturally gluten-free, oats are frequently cross-contaminated with gluten. Therefore, theres a good chance that your oat milk isnt gluten-free unless its certified as such.
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What Can We Do About This
Not a lot sadly. This is now in the lap of the courts! However there is something we can do. We can push back to Oatly and let them know we are not happy. In my view there is room for all the oat milk brands we have.
We can also show Glebe Farm some support. They sell their milk in Coop, Holland & Barrett and have an Amazon store. Ive just bought some as I needed milk anyway. Check out Pure Oaty here: Glebe Farm, Gluten-Free Oat Drink 10 x 1 Liter, Dairy-Free, Vegan, No Added Sugar
You could also sign the petition on Change.org
Oatly, you need to win me back to get me to buy your milk again. I do not like injustice. I do not like bullies.
Whats Better Oat Or Almond Milk
Oat milk is also considered to be higher in calories than the almond drink. Oat milk is also good for lactose-intolerant people. It contains 120 calories in one serving compared to only 60 calories in a serving of almond milk, therefore it may be the better option if youre trying to reduce your calories.
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Is Oat Milk Gluten Free
To understand if oat milk is gluten free, you must first understand how its made and why oats are a controversial subject in the gluten-free community.
Oat milk is made by soaking oats in water, pulverizing the oats it in a blender and then straining it to create a creamy, milk-like substance.
While oats are naturally gluten-free, oats are notoriously cross contaminated with wheat. In fact, oats are grown on the same fields at wheat and the same equipment is used to harvest, manufacturer and store the oats.
This is why oat milk is not gluten-free, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer. In other words, unless the manufacturer is using gluten-free oats to create its oat milk, you should avoid it if you follow gluten-free diet.
Is It Cheaper To Make Oat Milk
Considering the fact that prepackaged oat milk is between $3 per quart, it is fair to say that DIY oat milk is much cheaper. In the end, you are paying for packaging, processing, distribution and sales.
Buy oats in bulk and itll cost you less that $1 to make a batch of homemade oat milk. The entire process only takes 5 minutes, there will be zero preservatives and the oat milk will taste much fresher than any store-bought brand.
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What You Will Need To Make This Oat Milk Gluten Free
Ingredients for homemade oat milk
water: I always use filtered water from my Britta filter to make any dairy-free milk at home.gluten-free oats: these are easy to get by these days, simply check the free-from section of your local grocery store or alternatively order gluten-free oats online. dates: Ive used soft Medjool dates on this occasion and removed the pits before blending. Alternatively, you can also use a dash of maple syrup to sweeten your homemade oat milk.ground cinnamonvanilla extract: Ive used the liquid kind on this occasion, but you can also use vanilla powder or fresh vanilla beans, in this case, add about 1/8 tsp to the recipe.salt: dont worry, this wont make the milk salty but instead helps to bring out the full flavours of your other ingredients and creates a delicious flavour profile for this easy dairy-free oat milk.
Equipment
- a high-speed blender : if you dont have a high-speed blender, you can alternatively also use an immersion blender
- a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh strainer
- a bowl or large jug
- a bottle to store your oat milk in
- a funnel to make filling the bottle easier
Whats The Catch To Oat Milk Nutrition
When it comes to oat milk, keep in mind that oats are grains. And if you have trouble digesting grains , oat milk may not be your knight in shining armor. You may be best sticking with coconut, almond, or cashew milk. Also, keep in mind that oats are higher in carbs than nuts and seeds. Which means this is also true for its milk when compared to coconut or almond milk. So if youre on a low-carb diet, it might not be the best choice. In addition, many oat milks claim to contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. However, you should at least be aware that these nutrients are most often added after the fact and arent naturally occuring. And finally, as with most packaged plant-based milks, prepared oat milk may contain yucky gums, stabilizers, and preservatives. So…if you want to give oat milk a try, I highly recommend making it yourself. Its actually very simple and there are many oat milk recipes available online. In general, simply
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Can Oat Milk Be Frothed
Oat milk can be frothed, but it will take a few extra ingredients. The obstacle with this basic oat milk recipe is that it does not have enough fat and oat milk emulsifiers.
How do you get oat milk to froth?
I recommend adding cashews and coconut to the mixture before blending to make oat milk without oil. The nuts will add fatty flavor lacking the potential of experiencing a floating oil slick on top.
Otherwise, you can make oat milk like Oatly by adding two tablespoons of avocado, coconut or walnut oil to the oat milk before blending. The oil will stay emulsified for a short period of time, but tends to eventually rise to the top.
The creamy texture of the oat milk helps you to achieve the perfect froth, and you can even make the milk frothy without a blender.
Simply put the oat milk into a jar with a tight and secure lid. Shake the jar vigorously, and after a few seconds you will get a creamy and frothy oat milk that will double volume.
For this particular reason, oat milk is perfect for coffee or other hot and cold beverages. This version will give you perfect froth with an outstanding creamy texture.
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
Making almond milk at home is super simple, the recipe only requires a few ingredients, and it will take 10 minutes It can also be a fun experience and you can play around with added ingredients to make your desired sweetness.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups filtered water
- Sea Salt
*You will also need a blender, a milk bag or a thin dish towel, a mixing bowl, and a jar.
Instructions:
Note: the almond milk will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Before drinking shake well.
Additional Add-ins:
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Why Did My Oat Milk Separate
Gums and starches are used as binding agents in commercially manufactured oat milk beverages. When making DIY oat milk, it is rare to add these ingredients as most recipes stick to the basics.
Give a good shake before use and the liquid will combine once again!
Manufacturers use buffering agents like dipotassium phosphate to prevent oat milk separating. This stabilized ph levels to maintain a homogenous liquid when the cold oat milk comes in contact with hot drinks.
A Dietician’s Point Of View
With coeliac disease it’s not just about eating gluten free food.
You have to be very careful about cross contamination – i.e. the tiniest flecks of gluten getting into your gluten free food.
So with shared steamers at coffee shops, what risk does this pose for people on a gluten free diet?
Gordon McAndrew is a Registered Gastroenterology Dietitian at NHS Lanarkshire.
He works as part of the only Gastroenterology Dietetic service permanently funded in Scotland, which sees patients with IBS and coeliac disease.
Mr McAndrew explains that generally patients with coeliac disease are advised to continue eating gluten free oats when first diagnosed.
But this is best done under the guidance of a dietician, so any symptoms can be monitored.
When it comes to coffee shops, Mr McAndrew advises people with coeliac disease to ask as may questions as needed to establish if they think it is safe.
“We always advise patients with coeliac disease to be mindful when eating out,” says Mr McAndrew.
“This is the same if considering oat milk use in coffee shops.
“You should make it clear you have coeliac disease and ask about cross-contamination practices in store.
“If they cannot tell you they have taken all necessary precautions or you are in doubt – it’s best to avoid.
“The risk of cross contamination can be minimised by taking good precautions.”
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Easy Weeknight Pasta Recipes
This oat milk alfredo is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal which is on your table in about 30 minutes or less. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a healthy home-cooked meal but dont want to spend hours in the kitchen. I have a wholesection of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins a healthy meal can be on your table in no time. Even faster than ordering takeout!
And if you love this recipe, check out my Oat Milk Mac and Cheese for a super creamy, decadent treat!
Are Oats Gluten Free
Let’s start off by explaining about oats, and why some of them are not suitable for a gluten free diet.
Oats themselves do not contain gluten. But often with the way they are processed there is cross contamination from gluten-containing crops.
Therefore in the UK, only oats SPECIFICALLY marked as gluten free are ACTUALLY gluten free.
It’s really that simple.
Any oat products not marked gluten free, are not safe to consume on a gluten free diet.
This is because they don’t meet the strict gluten free standards of being below 20 parts per million of gluten.
It’s also important to note that a lot of people with coeliac disease cannot tolerate oats.
This is because they contain a protein called avenin.
Avenin can cause a reaction similar to gluten in some people with coeliac disease.
If you find you are struggling to tolerate even gluten free oats, it’s best to speak to your GP or dietician.
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