Why You Should Try Switching to a Plant Based Milk

Whether you are vegan, lactose intolerant or simply sensitive to dairy (hint: many of us are!) learning how to make your own plant milk is an empowering way to improve your health.  They have less fats, zero hormones and if buying organic you don’t have to worry about pesticides or whether or not an animal was treated humanely. 

You can make milks out of oats, seeds, nuts or coconut meat with varying levels of nutrients. I avoid almonds, because they aren’t a very Earth-friendly choice.  It takes five gallons of water to make a single almond and since bees are required to pollinate the almond trees, the increase in almond production is also disrupting nation wide bee colonies. 

My favorites are oat, coconut, cashew, hemp seed, pumpkin seed, flax seed, sunflower seed and sesame.  I keep jars of these in the fridge for switching up my nut milks as well as adding them to smoothies and salads.  Nuts and seeds are a very easy way to add plant based protein and minerals to your diet. 

How to Make Nut milk

1. Soak: a half cup of your choice of nut, seed or other, in purified water overnight.  I like to add in a date for sweetness. 

2. Rinse: I always then rinse these very well.  Seeds and nuts are often coated with phytic acid, which is removed through soaking. 

3. Add water and other ingredients: After rinsing, throw the oats, seeds or nuts into a high powered blender with two cups of water.  I usually add in a bit of Himalayan salt, cinnamon or even vanilla at this point.  Whatever sounds good to you!

4.  Blend: Pulse on high for up to two minutes and then using a muslin cloth, strain the mixture into a vessel for storage. 

That is it.  Making your own plant based milk is seriously so easy and when stored in the fridge usually lasts about a week. Don’t spend 5 bucks or more on nut milks from the store. It is way too cheap and easy to DIY this one.

Nutritional Benefits

This is a great way to get your seed cycling in! Check out my blog post on the benefits of seed cycling here, but to sum it up… for the first two weeks of your cycle from menstruation to ovulation, make pumpkin and flax based milk.  The second two weeks from ovulation to your next menses, use sesame and sunflower.  The zinc, omega threes and lignans in these seeds are excellent for your hormones and support your body to stay nourished and supported through the whole month. 

Cashews are creamy, sweet and packed with magnesium to keep you calm.  Oats are also packed with vitamins and minerals, containing more calcium than cow’s milk. Oats also make an extra creamy and slightly sweet milk, as does coconut.  Mix and match until you find a blend that suits you.  There is no wrong way to make your plant-based milk!