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Turmeric Latte is the latest craze. The sun-yellow hot drink, also known as golden milk, is said to wake you up, strengthen your immune system and curb your appetite – all thanks to the power of the turmeric root.

While turmeric has been used as a natural remedy in the tradition of Ayurveda for centuries, the yellow spice was previously known in European latitudes as the main ingredient in curry powder. With the invention of the turmeric latte, the sun-yellow powder could now also start its triumphal march at the coffee bar, because turmeric is considered an all-around healthy, sustainable pick-me-up. The hot drink with turmeric and ginger has long been known as “golden milk” to yogis.

According to a study by the University of Michigan, the plant substance curcumin, which is responsible for the intensive color of the spice, strengthens the cell membranes and thus increases their resistance to diseases. In addition, turmeric is said to relieve stomach problems and promote blood circulation – these properties have not yet been scientifically proven.

In Ayurveda, turmeric is one of the “hot spices”. It is credited with having an internally cleansing, healing, detoxifying, and blood-purifying effect. The complexion is also said to improve with the yellow spice.

Turmeric Latte: Is The Drink Really Healthy?

On paper, the positive effects of an afternoon turmeric latte sound excellent – but can the drink also keep up with coffee in terms of taste and stimulating effect?

To find out, we in the EAT SMARTER editorial team brewed our own turmeric latte.

The basic recipe for a turmeric latte

Take a cup of milk, a teaspoon of turmeric powder, half a teaspoon of grated ginger, a pinch of pepper, and a teaspoon of honey, heat all the ingredients in a saucepan, and let them steep for ten minutes.

We topped the sun-yellow milk mixture with some milk froth for a café latte-like look. The turmeric latte can also be prepared vegan: Soy or almond milk is a good milk substitute here. If you like it more exotic, you can also use coconut milk. Instead of honey, the vegan turmeric latte is sweetened with agave syrup.

The taste test: how does turmeric latte taste?

While turmeric stands out in savory dishes for its color rather than its aroma, the spice is clearly the driving force behind the turmeric latte. The drink tastes sweet and spicy at first, then the tart, slightly bitter turmeric aroma comes along – not unpleasant, but takes a little getting used to. Milk and ginger go surprisingly well together.

Our conclusion: Unusual, but good! Even the appetite for sweets was limited after a cup of turmeric latte. With a nutritional value of 120 kcal per cup, a honey-sweetened turmeric latte is a great alternative for the morning or afternoon. Its sunny yellow color also helps to cheer up the mood on cloudy days.

Soy milk, almond milk, and the like have become competitors for good old cow’s milk in recent years. And now they have to tremble again because the pea milk is on the rise! The company “DrinkStar” produces the drink based on vegetable peas.

Pea milk: the must-have of the season?

It is white and looks like conventional cow’s milk, and yet it is not: Pea Milk. But neither the color nor the taste should be reminiscent of peas. In May 2016, the US manufacturer “ripple” brought the special milk alternative to the American market, which consists of a mix of yellow peas, sunflower oil, cane sugar, and algae oil.

Pea milk is so healthy

Pea milk contains important omega-3 fatty acids and is rich in calcium. It is also considered a protein bomb among vegan milk alternatives. One portion, i.e. around 200 milliliters, should contain an impressive 8 grams of protein. This would make pea milk just as rich in protein as soy and cow’s milk.

Of course, a distinction must be made here between vegetable and animal protein: the latter is similar in composition to body protein and can therefore be utilized somewhat better. But vegetable protein also has significant advantages over animal protein. Purines, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol are hardly included.

Pea drink

The Rosenheim beverage specialist DrinkStar has developed a German version of pea milk. PRINCESS AND THE PEA is naturally lactose, gluten, and allergen-free, making it a good alternative for people with food allergies or intolerances. The protein content is comparable to the protein content of classic cow’s milk. The milk alternative is enriched with calcium and refined with rapeseed oil containing omega-3 fatty acids.

The pea drink can either be drunk pure or used to refine coffee, tea, and muesli as well as in the preparation of meals.

Homemade ice cubes can be found in almost every household in the freezer. But in addition to the variant with water, there are now more and more containers in which coconut milk ice cubes are stuck. They give smoothies a silky texture and add great flavor to iced coffees – perfect for spring and summer!

The exotic among the ice cubes

Coconut milk is made from the flesh of the coconut. The result is a creamy liquid that refines many dishes such as Indian curries. But coconut milk doesn’t just taste wonderful in hot meals: the latest trend is coconut milk ice cubes!

Instead of the usual water, the trendy ice cubes are made entirely from coconut milk. In terms of taste, this is particularly interesting for coffees or smoothies: the sweet coconut milk goes well with the bitter coffee aroma and ensures a creamier consistency and chilled drinks. In addition, the drinks are not watered down unnecessarily.

The coconut milk ice cubes are also easy to portion, so you no longer have to open and use up a whole can of coconut milk for a shot of milk. However, with a fat content of around 20 percent, commercial coconut milk is not lightweight. However, you can fall back on the reduced-fat version – which has twelve percent fat.

Make coconut milk ice cubes yourself – that’s how it works!

The ingredients:

  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • Ice cube molds of your choice

The Preparation:

  1. Shake the coconut milk well before opening to form a homogeneous mixture.
  2. Pour the coconut milk into the ice cube molds and place in the freezer for at least four hours.
  3. Depending on your needs, remove the coconut milk ice cubes from the mold and add them to creamy smoothies or cold iced coffees.

Creamy and yet fluffy – that’s how the perfect milk froth for a cappuccino or latte macchiato should be. Hobby baristas are currently trying their hand at creating their own works of art, such as hearts on their specialty coffees. But with which milk is the milk froth perfect? EAT SMARTER tells you.

The perfect milk froth

In order for the milk froth on cappuccino or latte macchiato to be perfect, the protein and fat content of the milk must be right. Both are responsible for enclosing the air bubbles that have been beaten in when whipping so that the popular foamy milk is created. “The protein makes the milk foam stable, the fat content ensures the creaminess,” explains nutrition expert Susanne Moritz to the Bavarian consumer center.

The right milk

If you love milk foam like in Italy, you should use whole milk – firm foam is achieved by using low-fat milk of at least 1.5 percent. As a rule of thumb, the higher the fat content, the creamier the foam will be.

The temperature also plays an important role when preparing milk froth: lukewarm or cold milk is best. However, if it is heated to over 60 degrees, the milk froth collapses and is no longer usable for a creamy coffee specialty.

Coffee is so healthy

Coffee in its pure form is calorie-free, has a diuretic effect, and slightly suppresses the appetite. It’s also rich in niacin and antioxidants that help the body neutralize free radicals and protect cells. However, most coffee drinkers love the drink because of its stimulating effect: caffeine has a performance-enhancing effect and stimulates brain activity.

What smells so good of gingerbread? You simply have to try this Christmas gingerbread milk! Whether as a quick gift or for your own Christmas treats – EAT SMARTER reveals how you can make the delicious gingerbread milk yourself.

“Gingerbread milk is coming to town!”

Christmas time without gingerbread is unimaginable for most people! So, gingerbread fans watch out! This Christmas gingerbread milk is prepared in no time and is also a lot healthier than other drinking treats for the holidays.

Because fresh milk replaces greasy cream and pure gingerbread has an average of only 12 grams of fat per 100 grams. If you want to save even more calories, simply choose low-fat milk and use almost sugar-free baking cocoa.

Three healthy facts about gingerbread!

Gingerbread scores with its relatively low-fat content. But the type of fat can also be praised: Almonds, which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, are an essential ingredient in Lebkuchen.

In addition, there are the unmistakable spices that make up the typical gingerbread taste. Cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger are really good for us. It is not for nothing that the pastry is also called “stomach bread” in some places – the ingredients of the spices actually help the digestion, which is very stressed during the Christmas season.

Plus point number four is the gingerbread milk itself: super delicious Christmas taste without any alcohol!

Make Christmas gingerbread milk yourself

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 gingerbread (without glaze)
  • 200 milliliters of milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar beet syrup
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spice

Preparation:

  1. Peel the banana, cut it into slices, and put it in the blender.
  2. Remove the wafer from the gingerbread and crumble it into a banana. Add the milk, beet syrup, cocoa, and gingerbread spice and mix everything into a creamy smoothie.
  3. If necessary, add a little more milk and fill it into a small bottle, for example, and serve with gingerbread.

Our tip!

If you prepare your gingerbread yourself, not only do you have additional treats, but you also know exactly which ingredients you used. Our gingerbread building blocks recipe scores with only seven grams of fat per 100 grams and spelled flour is used here instead of wheat flour. So, off to the Christmas season and let’s have a snack!

Golden Milk – the new fitness booster to drink. Turmeric fuses with plant milk and spices to create an energizing and delicious healing potion. Turmeric stimulates liver activity, purifies the blood, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Due to its stimulating effect on the body and mind, Golden Milk is a healthy substitute for coffee. EAT SMARTER tells you the quick and easy recipe for making Golden Milk yourself.

From curry powder to trendy drink

Golden milk or turmeric latte is not yet well known to many, but it is well on the way to becoming a star in the coffee shop. The drink made from plant milk and turmeric is vegan, healthy, and stimulating.

So far, turmeric is more known as a spice in curry powder, but in the golden milk, it unfolds its full positive properties. It gives a beautiful bright yellow color, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and protects against diseases. Golden milk is a great alternative to coffee for breakfast or in between.

Golden milk with the miracle tuber turmeric

Turmeric, ginger, and spices really come into their own in the golden milk. While ginger, cinnamon & Co. are popular ingredients, turmeric is not one of the well-known must-haves in the kitchen – not yet! Turmeric adds a bright yellow color to any dish, including golden milk. But it can do even more: The mildly spicy turmeric contains curcumin and is, therefore, a superfood par excellence.

The active ingredient in turmeric gives the golden milk a cleansing and healing as well as an antibacterial effect. It also promotes digestion and stimulates the liver to release more bile acid to bind dietary fats, thus relieving flatulence and a feeling of fullness. But that’s not all: turmeric is said to have anti-cancer properties and have a positive effect on Alzheimer’s.

Since the golden milk is made with plant milk, it not only tastes delicious but is also a vegan fitness booster! You can find out how easy it is to make golden milk yourself in the following recipe.

Make golden milk yourself

The ingredients for 2 servings of 300 ml each:

  • 4 thumb-sized turmeric roots
  • 1-2 tsp virgin coconut oil ()
  • 2-3 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup
  • 600 ml soy milk (no added sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom ()
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 piece of ginger (approx. 30 g)

Preparation of the golden milk:

  1. Wash or peel the turmeric well.
  2. Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for two minutes.
  3. Then put the golden milk in a saucepan and simmer for five minutes.
  4. Pour into cups and enjoy immediately.

Make oat milk yourself – this is how it works: This plant-based milk is for everyone who is looking for an alternative to cow’s milk or nut milk. You can make your own oat milk with just three ingredients. This is full of valuable nutrients and provides you with many vitamins. Try it out – we’ll show you how quickly and easily you can make your own oat milk.

Healthy Flakes

Oatmeal is extremely healthy because it has a high-quality nutrient composition and complex carbohydrates keep you full for a long time. They contain a lot of dietary fiber, which ensures good digestion, as well as unsaturated fatty acids.

They are also said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Blood sugar levels don’t rise as much after eating oatmeal, which helps prevent cravings. A good reason to make your own oat milk.

The small flakes also contain a lot of minerals, trace elements, and vitamins as well as iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus.

Not only a hit in porridge

If you want to integrate the delicious flakes into your diet, you don’t necessarily have to eat porridge all the time. You can also make your own oat milk! This is not only a good milk alternative but also another plant-based milk that can add some variety to the diet.

Whether due to lactose intolerance or because no animal products are to be consumed, oat milk can be used as an alternative to cow’s milk along with almond milk and the like. But be careful: oats contain gluten, so they are not suitable for people with gluten intolerance.

If you make the oat milk yourself, vary the amount of water as you like, depending on how thick or creamy you like the milk.

Homemade oat milk also scores with few ingredients – and you can sweeten and season as you like. The finished oat milk will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days. Alternatively, you can boil the milk again and fill it hot into airtight bottles – this way the oat milk will last longer.

Make your own oat milk

The ingredients for 1 liter:

  • 100 g tender oat flakes
  • 1 liter of water (or to taste)
  • pinch of salt

Preparing the oat milk:

  • Put the rolled oats and salt in a bowl, cover with 1l of cold water and stir briefly. Let the oat flakes swell for about 5 minutes and then puree them with a hand blender or in a blender.
  • Place the puree in a nut milk bag (or linen cloth), drain the liquid into a container, and squeeze the mixture well so all the liquid comes out.
  • Finished! Now you can sweeten or spice it up as you like, for example with dates, cinnamon, or vanilla.

The market for milk alternatives is growing all the time. This makes it difficult for many people to keep track and remember which plant-based milk is suitable for what.

Everything you need to know about plant milk

There are many different milk alternatives on the market today. This includes milk made from nuts, grains, legumes or oilseeds. Basically, the production of a plant milk is not as complicated as one might think: the selected ingredient is watered or soaked, then ground dry or wet and finally mixed with water. Depending on the ingredient you choose, the drink is then boiled or fermented. Solids are filtered out. In order to refine the taste of the drink, additional oils, sweeteners and/or salt are added to individual solutions.

If you decide to buy a product from the trade, you should definitely pay attention to possible preservatives, sweeteners and emulsifiers. One way to avoid this and have control over the ingredients is to make your own dairy alternative. Materials you need for this are usually just a cheesecloth and a good blender. It is best to choose regional oats to make your oat milk. Soak about 100g whole oats in water for 12 hours. Then you sieve the water, add a liter of water to the grains and puree everything very finely. Now use a funnel and cheesecloth to help you pour the liquid directly into bottles. If you like the milk a bit more flavorful, you can also add salt, vanilla, cinnamon, honey or dates before mixing.

If you choose a milk alternative, you can bring variety into your everyday life on the one hand, but you can also consciously integrate certain nutrients into your diet on the other. There are also other reasons for using milk alternatives: if you make your own milk, you can use regional ingredients. In addition, when buying industrially produced milk, there are mainly regional, fair and organic offers, so that you can also do something good for the environment. According to the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, plant-based milk is more convincing than cow’s milk in terms of the ecological balance: The emission of greenhouse gases in relation to the production of milk alternatives is far below the value in cow’s milk production. Land consumption is also significantly lower. Furthermore, one can take action against animal suffering in the dairy industry: Cows in dairy farms are usually exposed to extreme physical and psychological stress. If you want to prevent this, it can be a good step against animal suffering to use plant milk.

The most well-known milk alternatives

One of the best-known milk alternatives is soy milk. It is considered to be particularly versatile and can be used for baking, for example, but also for making smoothies, in muesli or in coffee. Soy has a very high protein content, which is why it is often chosen by athletes to support muscle building. Milk contains valuable potassium and magnesium, but also iron, zinc and many B vitamins. Depending on what you want to use the drink for, you can fall back on one of the different variants on the market: There is unsweetened and sweetened soy milk, some with vanilla, chocolate or banana flavor and mixed forms with rice or oat milk. If you choose a soy drink with added chia or linseed oil, you can add valuable omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, for example.

According to surveys, oat milk is the most popular milk substitute. It convinces above all with its richness in potassium and phosphorus; The fiber also has a stimulating effect on your digestion. Characteristic of oat drinks is the light and natural sweetness, so that no sugar is usually added. Compared to whole milk, oat milk is richer in unsaturated fatty acids. Oat milk is particularly popular in coffee, but can also be used in muesli, porridge or for baking.

The almond drink is particularly well-known: it is ideal for people who suffer from celiac disease, lactose or soy intolerance. One downside that milk brings is that many of the almond’s minerals are lost during soaking and filtering; however, 100 ml of almond milk contains approximately one to seven grams of unsaturated fatty acids, up to two grams of protein and traces of fiber. In order to increase the mineral content of this milk alternative again, artificial calcium or other minerals are usually added. Almond milk is mainly used to make drinks, dips, puddings or other desserts, as well as for daily muesli.

You should also know these drinks

If you like it a little more exotic, the coconut drink can be a great alternative for you: the coconut flavor is particularly popular in smoothies, cocktails and mueslis. The natural sweetness of the coconut drink can not only be used in sweet dishes, but also in savory dishes: you can use it to cook an exotic curry, for example. On the market, however, there is also the possibility to buy a drink with a slightly more subtle coconut flavor: There are, for example, mixed drinks with rice or almonds.

Among other things, the rice drink is rather unknown; nevertheless, it should not be ignored. Due to the fermentation during the manufacturing process, the rice drink has a slightly sweet taste: this means that the milk can be used in a variety of ways. The milk is particularly suitable for people who cannot use nut or soy milk due to allergies. The rice drink is also lactose- and gluten-free.

Pea drinks are currently not very common on the market, but they also have an increasingly high market potential. The advantages that the peas provide are the high protein content and relatively few calories. The protein content of around 8 to 10 grams per glass makes the milk alternative particularly interesting for athletes. The drink provides calcium and magnesium, added rapeseed oil supplies the body with omega-3 fatty acids. There are also different options for this milk: the original, the unsweetened and the barista milk, which is particularly suitable for frothing. Pea drinks can be used in muesli, but also in porridge, smoothies or coffee.

The only way to find out which milk substitute is best for you is to try it; However, the range is now so diverse that you can test a wide variety of products.

The word milk finds its etymological origin in the Germanic-speaking world. From Swedish mjölk to Danish mælk, to Dutch melk, it has established itself as Milich in the German language and has always been referred to as the nutrient liquid of female mammals for their young.

Properties of milk

Milk is a white liquid that is particularly rich in milk fat, sugar, protein, and also water. It has been used as a staple food for humans for over 10,000 years, initially by sheep and goats, and later also by cows.

Carbohydrates, proteins, trace elements, and numerous vitamins are the most important components of milk. They are dissolved in the milk fat but differ depending on which animal it comes from. The more intensively the animal metabolizes, the richer its milk is in carbohydrates and proteins. The food and husbandry of the animals also influence the nutritional content.

In addition to proteins, the calcium it contains is also very important for bone formation in humans. The amino acids increase the body’s cell structure. Drinking a lot of milk also reduces the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Use of milk in the home

  • Milk is a staple food that is drunk in its pure form and forms the basis for foods such as butter, yogurt, quark, cream, and cheese. As a drink, it can be enjoyed both cold and warm, and it can be refined with coffee or cocoa powder, for example, or drunk as English tea.
  • Dairy products are a processing type. For the production of dairy products, all you really need to do is expose them to the sun and wait. If the so-called cream settles, the basis for butter production and cheese production is created.
  • Otherwise, milk can also be used to refine dishes and sauces and to make ice cream. Also, read tips on how to prevent overcooking and burning.

Animal suffering, high water consumption and a bad CO2 balance: More and more people are switching from cow’s milk to plant-based milk. But are the cow’s milk alternatives really that much more sustainable?

Instead of cow’s milk: plant-based milk is trendy

The life cycle assessment for the production of cow’s milk does not come off too well. In addition to factory farming and the general animal suffering, this is another reason for many people to switch to plant-based milk. In addition, a Nobel Prize winner warns of cancer from beef and milk. Babies are particularly at risk.

The move away from animal milk is a general trend – sales of milk alternatives such as almond milk, soy milk or oat milk continue to increase from year to year. But do milk alternatives really do better than conventional cow’s milk in terms of sustainability?

Cow’s milk alternative: rainforest clearing for soy milk?

Soy milk is considered the most common and popular alternative to cow’s milk. However, also as the most controversial. However, the ecological balance also leaves a lot to be desired here. Around 35 million tons of soy are imported into the EU every year, 50 percent of which comes from Brazil. However, the rain forests suffer from the fact that these huge quantities of soya are transported to Europe.

At the expense of the rainforests in South America, huge fields are being planted specifically for soybean cultivation. However, it should be mentioned here that soy is not primarily used for plant-based soy products, but mainly as fodder for animals in Europe. According to the manufacturer Alpro, soy in plant drinks and similar products is made in Europe and Canada.

Oat milk performs best

Probably the most sustainable cow’s milk alternative is oat milk. The grain is mainly sourced from regional farms and, in contrast to the other dairy products and alternatives, uses relatively little water. In addition, due to the regional or at least European cultivation, the transport routes are much shorter than, for example, with almond milk. According to the Albert Schweizer Foundation, oat milk uses only 40 percent of the energy for production compared to semi-skimmed cow’s milk and at the same time requires 80 percent less space.

Almonds from California have a bad ecological balance

Most of the water is definitely used in the production of almond milk. Since about 80 percent of the almonds used come from the Californian desert and therefore extra large areas are cultivated for this, the water consumption is extremely high. In addition, almond trees per se require a relatively large amount of water. Thus, the water consumption of almond milk is about 17 times higher than that of cow’s milk. However, about a tenth fewer greenhouse gases are released in return.

The exotic: coconut milk as an alternative

Very popular, especially in Asian curries and other dishes, but not yet established as a pure milk substitute: coconut milk. According to every second coconut product contains harmful substances such as mineral oil, plasticizers or chlorate. In addition, coconut products have a pretty bad CO2 balance because of the long transport routes. This effect is intensified by the fact that the coconut palm grows quite slowly and is not very productive. Overall, the coconut milk can not score in terms of sustainability.