“Do you have this with oat milk?” It’s not just café operators, bakery owners and gas station attendants who are increasingly being asked this question. The demand for alternatives to cow’s milk is also growing in hotels. Sustainable hoteliers, in particular, welcome this development, as an increasing avoidance of animal products is part of the basic principles of sustainable hotel management. But how sustainable are the various plant-based milks and beverages? And which one goes best with coffee? I answer these and other questions in this blog post.

What plant-based milks are available?

I remember a few years ago there were maybe two or three different types of plant-based drinks. Mostly soy or almond drinks. Rarely an oat-based one. Now you can walk into any supermarket or drugstore and find at least five, usually more, different dairy alternatives from different manufacturers.

The most common are still soy drinks and now oat drinks. There are also almond, rice and, more rarely, coconut-based milk alternatives. In better-stocked stores, you can also find several other varieties of nut and cereal milk alternatives, such as hazelnut and spelt. And there are sunflower and pea-based dairy alternatives.

Which dairy alternatives are most popular in (sustainable) hotels?

As I mentioned at the beginning, many sustainable hotels welcome the change in guest behavior. At STURM, a sustainable wellness hotel at the foot of the Rhön mountains, the team noticed that not only vegans and lactose-intolerant people order coffee specialties made with oat milk. This is the favorite, the team reports, not only because of its better environmental footprint, but also because of its natural sweetness. That’s why it’s so popular in STURM’s (vegan) desserts. The barista version also foams well and can be used for cappuccinos and the like.

At the Gut Nisdorf on the Baltic Sea, oat milk is also the most favorite alternative, says owner Jörg Gloor. He also likes to use oat milk in his muesli. Only waffles do not work so well with oat milk, he says.

In the family vacation apartments, guests can also book breakfast and then find a basic supply of bread spread, vegetable drink and margarine or butter in their own refrigerator upon arrival. The rest can be bought fresh in the morning at the breakfast bar.

At the family-run hotel Okelmann’s in Lower Saxony, a good quarter of the coffee specialties are now served with a plant-based milk substitute. Mostly with oat milk. But soy milk is also on offer. Of course, the sisters, who are the fifth generation to run the hotel, don’t charge extra. “We think the plant-based alternatives are great, especially the oat drink, which tastes delicious and is easy to froth in the barista version,” says Kristin Okelmann. Then she adds: “Our oat drink with organic oats from Germany also comes in a returnable bottle, so we save on plastic waste, too.”

Pea drink: a (still) underestimated alternative

Other experts in the hospitality industry confirm the trend our partner hoteliers are seeing. They also point to the vegetable alternative made from peas. The high-fat content of the legumes makes the pea drink particularly creamy, while the high-protein content ensures a stable foam. When it comes to taste, at least in my experience, the differences between brands are huge. Some are to my liking, others not at all. So here it is: try it! Or, like me, stay with oat milk 😀

The most popular plant-based milks in the sustainability check

Now that you’re familiar with the full range of dairy alternatives, you’re probably wondering which are the most sustainable. And the healthiest. And the most climate-friendly. Because that’s what a lot of people who are giving up cow’s milk are looking for. I’ve done the research for you and put it all together in a chart:

As you can see, cow’s milk is the worst performer across the board. When it comes to water consumption, different sources score differently. Here, almond and rice drinks tend to come out on top, depending on the study and the way it is calculated. This is another reason why you should enjoy these drinks in moderation. Almonds in particular often come from dry California. So if you drink almond drinks, make sure the almonds come from Europe and preferably from organic farming.

Locally, here in Germany (where I am located), there is usually only one milk alternative: oat drink. Oats are easy to grow here in Germany, use relatively little water, and do not have to be transported long distances due to their regional nature. So from an environmental perspective, oat drink is the most environmentally and climate-friendly choice. Other locally grown crops such as peas and lupins are also sustainable alternatives.

Why is cow’s milk bad for the climate?

By the way, the reason cow’s milk is worse for the climate than plant-based alternatives is that cows produce methane when they digest. In addition, land is used to raise livestock and grow feed. This land is lost to plant-based food production.

If you’re thinking about the recent discussion at home about soy drinks, cattle feed and the like, keep in mind that the soy that ends up on your table as a soy drink or yogurt often comes from European farms. Rainforests are cleared primarily for the soy that animals eat, as well as for pasture.

How healthy are plant-based beverages?

After sustainability, this question is at the top of all the articles. However, the only real consensus is that plant-based drinks are mostly water and, in principle, not harmful to your health. Even the natural sugar content in oat milk isn’t a problem if you don’t drink it by the gallon.

What to look for when buying: Some manufacturers add extra sugar to their plant-based drinks. Avoid these. Plant drinks are also often fortified with minerals and vitamins. It is up to you to decide if this is okay for you or if you would rather skip it. If you’re eating a balanced diet anyway, you don’t need the additives in plant-based drinks 😉

Sustainability tip: Make your own plant-based milks

Most plant-based drinks and milk alternatives are easy to make. For example, oat milk is 1 part oatmeal to 9 parts water. Put it all in the blender with a pinch of salt and a sweetener of your choice, depending on your taste. Then either squeeze it through a muslin cloth or just pour it through a strainer (if you don’t mind a few flakes). A little (vegan) protein powder makes the oat drink more stable. Do the same with nut milks.

And here’s another tip: You can use the pomace to make cookies or spreads!

Uses and tips for replacing dairy milk

In principle, you can always replace cow’s milk 1 to 1 with a plant-based drink of your choice. Your taste decides. There are also good alternatives for cream, creme fraiche, yogurt, etc. In the end, it all comes down to what you like. But if you’re just starting out, here are my recommendations, having given up cow’s milk and most cow’s milk products myself a few years ago:

In cooking: If you want it to be neutral in taste, soy products (with European soy) go in the pot. Most of the time I also use oat cream. For dips and the like, I like soy yogurt because it has more of a sour curd taste than other vegan yogurts.

In coffee: Oat drinks and nut drinks; other grain-based milk alternatives are also tasty. For example, if you don’t like it quite as sweet, spelt drink might work for you.

Baking: I usually just use whatever I have on hand. Mostly oat milk. Keep in mind that oats already have a natural sweetness, so you may want to reduce the sugar content a bit.

By the way: Most of the desserts in STURM are also made with oat milk. For example, the chocolate-nut brownies. The team at the sustainable hotel in the Rhön even gave us the recipe:

Vegan Chocolate Nut Brownies

Chocolatey, juicy, and with just the right amount of crunch from the nuts, these brownies are not just for vegans! | Makes one 22x30 cm baking dish

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Baking Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine Vegan

Ingredients

  

• 270 g Flour
• 120 g Sugar
• 50 g Cocoa
• 1 Core of a vanilla pod
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 150 ml Oat Milk
• 125 ml neutral oil like sunflower or canola
• 125 ml Maple Syrup
• 200 g Chopped Dark Chocolate plus a bit for decoration if you like
• 150 g Nuts

Instructions

 

• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
• Add the liquid ingredients (oat milk, maple syrup and oil) and mix well.
• Finally, mix in the chocolate chips and (coarsely chopped) nuts.
• Pour the batter into a baking pan (about 22x30 cm) and bake the brownies for about 25 minutes at 200°C top and bottom heat.
• If you like, you can glaze the brownies after they have cooled. Simply melt the chocolate, stir in some coconut oil or other vegetable fat, and pour the mixture over the brownies.

Keyword Brownies, chocolate, chocolate cake, Vegan

Our conclusion about plant-based milk

The question of the sustainability of plant-based beverages versus cow’s milk is complex because, as always in agriculture, there are many components involved. There is land use, water use, environmental impact, and, and, and. However, I think it is wrong to fall into “whataboutism” on this issue. Of course, it is more beneficial to give up beef than cow’s milk. And yes, the coffee I pour my oat milk into has a worse environmental (and social) footprint than a glass of cow’s milk. But hey, baby steps are better than no steps at all. And if you’re using oat milk instead of cow’s milk, you’re probably also making sure your coffee is fairly produced. At least that’s the way it’s done in sustainable hotels, and we can take a cue from them at home.

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