Oat milk's everywhere at the moment, a consistently available option at cafés for people who want to dodge dairy – but is it actually a healthier option for your morning coffee?
Recent research suggests not.
Registered nutritionist Nikki Hart told Breakfast this morning: "It's not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's understanding that it is made from a cereal. Because it's made from a cereal, it doesn't have a high protein content.
"Traditional cow's milk has protein and fat, and other micronutrients in it that oat milk simply doesn't have."
Hart acknowledged the environmental case for alternatives.
Two international reports in recent years from EAT-Lancet Commission and Global Burden of Disease researchers have been taken on board by policy makers worldwide, but a new paper criticises the "unacceptable use of substandard metrics" in those reports.
The npj Science of Food article published in Nature argues "these reports continue to erroneously influence food policy decisions and international dietary guidelines".
"By dropping drastically the amount of dairy or meat in your diet, you are going to put [yourself] at risk," Hart – who also provides "independent, external nutrition expertise" to Fonterra – said.
"It's more than just milk, it's this whole sustainability thing.
"People are trying to make great decisions, and going to plant — and bagging animal-based protein altogether — I think we have to be a wee bit cautious about that."
Hart stressed that "our food system needs a change" amid the climate crisis.
"We know you should be eating more fruit and vegetables, you should be eating more legumes.
"But you know, if you like the taste of oat milk, great, but if you are an adolescent female doing a lot of sport, make sure you're drinking some cow's milk as well because you're gonna need the calcium for your bone density," Hart said.
"It's not about, 'That one's bad and that one's good', but understanding that we need to be careful of the mix in our diet."
Dairy-intolerant people could consider lactose-free cow's milk, she added.
"But if you can't, or you don't like the taste, or you're vegan, or there's a cultural issue... maybe you need to look at, what's the next plant milk that's high in protein? That's soy.
"From a protein content [perspective], and the micronutrient, that would be my next one if I was not gonna have cow's milk.
"I think we have to be careful that we don't make food 'good' and 'bad', and we need to do our research."
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