Avoid This Type Of Plant-Based Milk When Making A Bowl Of Oatmeal

You may want to hold off on using your favorite plant-based milk in your oatmeal until you've turned the carton around to see how much sugar is in a serving. Since plant-based milks are primarily water blended with nuts, seeds, coconut, legumes, or grains, these two ingredients alone aren't flavorful enough to create a product that mimics the flavor of cow's milk. Brands compensate for this by adding sugar into the product, which could be a concern for anyone monitoring their carb or sugar intake, especially if you're using one of the 12 unhealthiest instant oatmeals. 

It's no good when oatmeal tastes off due to an excessive amount of sweetness from the added sugar. This only detracts from the dried fruit you've added (which also have a lot of sugar) and competes with the brown sugar or maple syrup drizzled on top. With all of these sweet elements together, you're left with nothing but a bowl of overpowering sweetness.

Cow's milk, regardless of its fat content, typically contains 0 grams of added sugar and around 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar per 8-ounce serving. In an 8-ounce serving of plant-based milks, there's usually 5 to 7 grams of sugar in "original" versions and 13 to 15 grams of sugar in sweetened, flavored versions. This is notable, since each kind contains only 1 gram of naturally occurring sugar at most. While the total sugar content in plant-based milks isn't that far from the amount in cow's milk, plant-based milks taste sweeter because they have a lower fat content than dairy milk, which helps balance out sweetness.

This doesn't mean you need to commit one of the biggest mistakes people make when making oatmeal by using plain water. Instead, there are several different plant-based milks to choose from that have minimal added sugar which don't skimp on flavor or creaminess.

One redditor said their go-to plant based milks for oatmeal were either Ripple unsweetened pea milk or Silk unsweetened organic soy milk since both have 0 grams of added sugar and are also "super creamy and decadent." I can definitely attest to this statement in my experience exclusively drinking and using plant-based milk in a variety of applications, including oatmeal, for over a decade. One commenter mentioned Good Karma flax milk. 

Good Karma flax milk was also the recommendation provided by Miriam Hahn, a recipe developer for The Tasting Table and wellness coach who provided her oatmeal expertise in the article, "12 Mistakes You Need To Avoid When Cooking Oatmeal." According to Hahn, "It is much creamier and, in my opinion, complements the oats the best. Plus, you get all of the omega-3s that flaxseed offers and a good source of plant-based protein." Another option is to continue using a plant-based milk with added sugar in your oatmeal but reduce or eliminate other sweet components.

Static Media owns and operates The Takeout and Tasting Table.