What is the best plant-based milk powder?

our ingredients:

oats, coconut

the alternative:

Almond milk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum, Ascorbic Acid

drink wholesome is the best plant-based milk powder.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What does plant-based mean?

---

“Plant-based” refers to a dietary or lifestyle choice that emphasizes the consumption of foods derived primarily from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. A plant-based diet typically minimizes or excludes the consumption of animal products, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, and honey. The degree to which individuals adhere to a plant-based diet can vary, however, as some individuals may choose to eat certain animal products.

It is important to note that “plant-based” can have different interpretations, and many people use it interchangeably with “vegan.” “Plant-based” and “vegan” are two related but distinct terms used to describe dietary and lifestyle choices that prioritize the consumption of plant-based foods. While they share similarities, there are some key differences between the two concepts. For instance, veganism typically excludes all animal products, including those used in non-food items such as clothing or cosmetics, while plant-based focuses primarily on the diet.

What is plant-based milk powder?

---

Plant-based milk powder is made from plants like soy, almond, coconut, oat, and rice. It is suitable for those following a vegan diet. Making plant milk powder involves removing the moisture (water) from liquid milk through a drying process, which leaves behind a fine powder that can be easily reconstituted with water to make milk.

Why use milk powder?

---

Here are 3 benefits of plant-based milk powder:

1. Longer shelf-life: Powdered plant-based milks are a longer-lasting alternative to liquid plant-based milk. When stored in a cool, dry place, plant milk powder can last for several months or even years without spoiling .

2. More convenient: Powdered plant milk is lightweight and takes up less space than liquid milk. This makes it easier to store and transport, especially in situations where refrigeration is not available.

3. Easier to digest: Plant milk powder is safe for those with dairy allergies and lactose intolerance.

Why drink plant-based milk?

---

Here are the top 3 reasons why you should drink plant-based milk:

1. Dairy, even if it has had the lactose removed, can cause digestive distress. This is especially true for people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs. 

2. Dairy can cause acne. Dairy indirectly stimulates insulin production, which regulates sebum production. Sebum, an oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands, can clog your pores and cause pimples. Dairy can also hinder your ability to process blood sugar efficiently, which can cause inflammation, especially in your skin.

3. Dairy is not environmentally friendly. The industrial dairy industry has a profound impact on the environment. Dairy cows and their manure produce enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, the poor handling of manure and fertilizers pollute local water resources, and dairy farming and feed production can also lead to the loss of ecologically important areas such as prairies, wetlands, and forests.

Going with plant milk is the way to go, but lactose is not the only ingredient to avoid when buying milk. Most plant-based milks contain added ingredients, usually thickeners, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. Additives like these improve characteristics like texture and shelf stability, but they also cause uncomfortable side effects and long term gut damage. Keep reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome? 

---

Again, most plant milks contain food additives. Simply put, these added ingredients help to make plants taste, feel, and look like cow’s milk.

Here are the ingredients in two of the top brands of plant-based milk in the United States.

Almond Breeze Almond Milk ingredients

Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Sunflower Lecithin*, Gellan Gum*, Natural Flavors*, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E).

*Sunflower lecithin is a group of fatty substances derived from sunflower seeds. It is added to plant milk to improve texture and prevent separation. 

*Gellan gum is a thickener used to give plant-based milk a creamy texture.

*Did you know that while food manufacturers are required to disclose their ingredients, natural flavor manufacturers are not. They can add solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, carriers and other additives to a flavor that qualifies as “natural” under current regulations.

Chobani Oat Milk ingredients 

Organic Oat Blend (Water, Organic Whole Grain Oats), Contains 2% or Less of: Organic Rapeseed Oil* (Low Erucic Acid), Sea Salt, Nutrient Extract Blend (Fruit and Vegetable Sources), Calcium Carbonate, Gellan Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate*, Dipotassium Phosphate*.

*Rapeseed oil is another name for canola (cooking) oil, and is used to replicate the creamy mouth-feel of dairy.

*Because it is cloudy and white when added to a liquid, tricalcium phosphate gives plant milk the opacity of cows’ milk.

*Dipotassium phosphate is a stabilizer that helps prevent separation on the shelf.

As you can clearly see, each of these plant milks contains several food additives. Now I know what you are thinking, sure there are food additives, but they only make up a small percentage of the formulation (ingredients are listed in descending order by weight). But let me remind you that milk is something that many people drink every day, and that over time (months, years), small amounts add up. This is a problem for several reasons.

First of all, food additives, even in small quantities, can cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain. This is especially the case for people with sensitive stomachs and gut issues, and occurs because additives look nothing like real food. They sit in your gut for longer than food should, which gives your gut bacteria more time to eat. As they eat, gut bacteria produce gas, causing bloating and stomach pain. Gas also slows colonic transit (the amount of time it takes food to travel through the colon), which can lead to constipation. 

In the long term, food additives can cause permanent gut damage. For starters, they can disrupt regulatory pathways in the intestine, which can result in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and systemic inflammatory disorders. 

Moreover, more and more research is finding that food additives alter the composition of your gut microbiota, the collection of microorganisms living in your small intestines. These microorganisms play an important role in digestion and overall health, and an imbalance may lead to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. It is therefore very much in your best interest to avoid plant-based milks made with food additives.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in plant-based milk:

acacia gum, canola oil, carob bean gum, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dicalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, monosodium phosphate, “natural” flavors, palm oil, phosphoric acid, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin, sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum

Drink Wholesome Plant Milk Powder Ingredients

oats, coconut

Our plant-based milk powder, unlike the leading brands, is made with 2 simple ingredients: oats and coconut. We add coconut for two reasons: 1) it improves the texture 2) it improves the taste. We did not just want to make another watery powdered plant milk, we wanted to make something rich and creamy that people can add to coffee. Coconut allows us to do that, and we have no problem whatsoever adding it to the ingredient list. If you are sick of plant-based milks full of gums and oils, give our powdered plant milk a try.