August 22 marks the annual World Plant Milk Day - a day to celebrate and promote dairy alternatives and to expose the alleged cruelty of the dairy industry.
The day was founded by Robbie Lockie, co-founder of Plant-Based News, in 2017 established as a partnership with ProVeg in 2018. The campaign has grown and acquired the attention of millions of people around the world, accelerating the transition from dairy milk to plant-based alternatives.
According to ProVeg, plant-based milk is low in saturated fatty acids and free of cholesterol, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids like omega 3 and omega 6.
Consuming them as a part of a balanced diet helps to maintain a healthier lipid profile, which is essential for cardiovascular health and an active lifestyle.
The World Plant Milk Day website says a plant-based diet, that includes plant milk, is good for health as it can assist in preventing diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, weight problems and specific sorts of cancer.
In honour of World Plant Milk Day, here are six ways to reap the benefits of plant milk in addition to drinking it by the glass.
Use in cereal or granola
Instead of regular milk, use oat milk on your cereal or granola in the morning for a dairy-free alternative. It pairs exceptionally well with a wide variety of grains, nuts and fruits commonly found in cereals and granolas, making your first meal of the day even more enjoyable.
Smoothies
Smoothies are an easy way to incorporate more vegetables, fruit, and dairy into your day. In addition to fruit and mild-tasting vegetables like spinach and rice cauliflower, using milk as the liquid base will help ensure you are getting not one but three food groups into your glass.
Use in hot drinks
You can use plant milk in all your usual hot drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. You even get ‘barista’ oat milk that is extra creamy and froths up if you are feeling fancy.
Most coffee shops will serve barista blends or you can find them in the supermarket if you are a DIY frother.
Make vegan desserts
Baking anytime soon? Omit the water in your recipe when making cupcakes or cakes and instead just use non-dairy milk. It will make your desserts more moist, they will have more flavour and the added touch of sea salt in non-dairy milk might also help them keep better.
Make frozen desserts
From decadent chocolate sorbets to fresh and fruity popsicles, oat milk provides a creamy, dairy-free base for your homemade frozen treats.
Try it in a creamy vanilla ice cream recipe; you will be surprised how the sweetness and smooth texture of oat milk can create a plant-based version that is indistinguishable from its dairy counterpart.
Make soup
Oat, soy, or coconut milk can help make your soup broths a little creamier. Match the flavour profile - for example, oat in homely vegetable soups for added comfort, and soy or coconut if you are going for spiced soup.
Thai coconut curry noodle soup
Ingredients
180g stir-fry noodles
400ml coconut milk
¾ cup roasted red peppers
1½ tbs oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
3 tbsp red curry paste
1½ tbs freshly grated ginger
2 tsp chilli powder
3 cups chicken stock
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup bean sprouts
½ cup coriander
1 lime, cut into wedges
Method
Cook noodles in boiling water until soft and set aside (2 minutes).
Combine coconut milk and peppers in a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the garlic and shallots and cook until tender (3-4 minutes).
Stir in red curry paste, ginger, and chilli powder (1 minute).
Stir in chicken stock coconut milk and red pepper mixture then stir in the chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender (15-20 minutes).
Remove chicken and shred before returning to the pot. Stir in the lime juice.
Serve over noodles and garnished with red onion, bean sprouts, coriander, and lime.
Recipe courtesy of Capsicum Culinary Studio.