Oat milk has quickly become a popular dairy-alternative, right up there with coconut milk and almond milk.

This group of dairy-alternatives has also become one of the categories that is lumped into the “health food” bucket. This is where your keen eye for ingredient lists and food labels will come into play.

Next time you’re picking out your oat milk, I want you to read the ingredient list and see what’s in there that might be making it extra creamy. What I’ve found is that brands like Oatly are using additives and canola oil (aka rapeseed oil) to create a “full fat” consistency.

I personally don’t suggest my clients use canola oil as their daily cooking oil, and I certainly wouldn’t suggest they drink it daily, either. 

The Oatly example above is the “original” version, but there are also thicker full-fat and barista versions which contain a higher quantity of oil.

If you’re someone who consumes oat milk daily or weekly, I would suggest finding a more simple version of the beverage to consume. For example, the brand Malk makes an oat milk made only with oats, water, and salt.

Moral of the story: be empowered by the knowledge you have about food labels to make educated decisions on your food choices. Hint: simple, fewer ingredients is often your better choice.