I Kicked Carton Oat milk (And You Should Too!)
Since 2015 oat milk has taken the world (and internet) by storm, causing a lot of people to ditch dairy for carton oat milk brands. Since then I watched as carton non-dairy milk alternatives took over the shelves of my grocery store, and I started being asked “would you like oat milk in that?” at my local cafe. I made the switch to oat milk around 2020 when tiktok’s “health and wellness tips” were at its peak – and that was my biggest mistake. There was so much hiding in my oat milk that I never took the time to learn about it! If an influencer told me it was “better for you” than dairy I believed them – since looking into what is on the ingredient list of my favourite dairy alternatives I am never going back to carton oat milk, so let's talk about what's lurking in the carton at the back of your fridge, and why you should make the switch to cleaner, fortified dairy alternatives:
1. Inflammatory Oils
Ever notice that film that coats your mouth after you sip oat milk? In an effort to replicate the creamy mouthfeel of dairy, many oat milk companies add processed inflammatory oils that end up at the top of their ingredient list. Inflammatory oils like heavily processed canola oil contain many trans fats and have been proven to provide no health benefits from their inclusion. Inflammatory oils also do a number on your gut health, causing perceived sensitivities to oat milk when really it's the overly-processed ingredients and not oat milk on its own.
Instead of adding oils, Magic Oats oat milk powder contains a small amount of coconut milk powder in our original recipe to create a clean-feeling on your palate with every sip. Not only will it feel better to drink, but your body will thank you as well.
2. Gums
Gums are additives that bind the ingredients in your oat milk, and keep it thick. Some common ones you might find are xanthan gum, gellan gum, or locust bean gums. Gellan gum is actually banned in many European countries unless it's organically processed, but unfortunately there aren't very many manufacturers that have organic gellan gum and therefore it's virtually absent overseas. Non-North American countries often have different standards for food processing, allowing for better quality products with fewer gastrointestinal-related negative side effects. Gums may exacerbate digestive-related issues like extreme gas and bloating.
Because Magic Oats fore-goes the gums and emulsifiers, our product has some natural separation if left alone for enough time. This is easily fixed with a quick stir or shake, removing any need for harmful gums that might negatively impact your gut health.
3.“Natural” Flavours
Don’t be fooled, companies will have you think “natural” flavors are using whole foods to directly flavor their product, but that isn’t the truth. Natural flavors use chemicals like flavor enhancers, solvents, and several preservatives to extract flavors from natural sources (i.e. fruits or vegetables). Natural flavors are different from artificial flavors as those are made of pure chemicals we try to avoid ingesting, but aren’t as wholesome as we are led to believe. Check your oat milk to see if companies are trying to pull the wool over your eyes, and don’t worry – Magic Oats uses all real superfood ingredients, and natural sugars to flavor our oat milk so you’re never left wondering what exactly you’re drinking.
If you’re reading the label on the back of your favorite oat milk carton and sweating right now, we’ve all been there. Toss ‘em in the garbage and don’t look back girlfriend! And if you’re left wishing for some oat milk with clean superfood ingredients you can trust – click here to try Magic Oats oat milk powder, we promise you’ll never settle for carton oat milk ever again.
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