Grain milk is becoming increasingly popular. You can make them yourself or buy them ready-made, made from oats, spelt, rye and other grains. Here we present an overview of the most important types of grain milk.
Grain milk is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to cow’s milk. It is lactose-free and therefore suitable for allergy sufferers. It contains less fat than cow’s milk and, unless artificially sweetened, is also lower in calories than whole milk.
Grain drinks, as grain milk products are called in retail, can be easily made in the kitchen at home and are then not only cheaper than cow’s milk, but also have a good ecological balance if regional grain is used.
What is grain milk anyway?
Roughly speaking, grain drinks consist of water and various types of grain, while industrially produced milk substitutes usually contain sweeteners in the form of agave syrup, dates or vanilla.
Grain milk fans swear by the sweet to nutty taste that comes from the grain starch. They use their favorite drink for everything that would otherwise be made with regular cow’s milk. Whether in coffee or muesli, for desserts, cakes or sauces, grain milk can be used in many ways.
How healthy are grain drinks?
We can answer the question of whether grain drinks are healthy with a resounding “yes”.
For people who are allergic to cow’s milk or have a lactose intolerance, grain milk is of course the better alternative.
Caution is advised in the case of gluten intolerance, because the gluten protein is often also found in milk alternatives made from spelt, wheat, rye and co.
When it comes to protein and calcium content, grain milk also performs poorly compared to normal milk.
Due to the manufacturing process (every grain drink is filtered before bottling), the minerals present in the whole grain are usually lost.
In summary, one can say that cereal milk is an interesting alternative, especially for those who want to eat vegan or who want or have to do without cow’s milk for reasons.
Make your own grain milk
Of course, you can also make any form of grain drink yourself. Because the “production” is basically the same for every type of grain, you can find a general recipe for homemade grain milk here.
You need:
80g cereal flakes, grains or flour. You have to crush whole grains and soak them overnight or let them germinate before you process them
1l water
blender or blender
sweeteners such as agave syrup, dates or honey; alternatively some salt
Put flour, flakes or grist in a saucepan and bring to the boil with about 0.5l of water and simmer briefly. Remove from the heat, add the remaining water and add any sweeteners. Then mix the mixture well again with either the blender or the immersion blender and chop.
As a final step, filter your grain milk through a cotton cloth or nut milk bag into a suitable container to remove the solids. Squeeze the cloth or bag well! The cereal milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-6 days.
