By Jacob Andreae

There is currently so many milk alternatives on the market. Soy, almond, cashew, macadamia, oat, rice, coconut, flax, hemp, and of course, the O.G… cow! There’s even such as thing as spider milk. It’s not on the market and you can’t buy it, but it is a thing. But what has just hit the market in the last couple of years is… PEA MILK! 

Pea milk is a fantastic addition to the many milk alternatives. It’s vegan, nut free, soy free, lactose free and glucose free. These are some of the limitations of the other milk alternatives. It’s also better for the environment than other milk and has more protein and calcium than other alternatives. 

Pea milk has a lower water and carbon footprint than cow’s milk and other milk alternatives such as rice and almond milk. 

Pea milk is made by harvesting yellow peas and milling them into flour. The flour is then processed, separating the pea protein from the fibre and starch. The pea protein is then blended together with water and other ingredients such as sunflower oil, sea salt and vitamin B12. 

Pea Milk: The Pros and Cons of the New Milk on the Street

Pros

Lower water and carbon footprint. One of the drawbacks of many milk alternatives, as well as cow’s milk, is the water and carbon footprint. Many of these other forms of milk require HUGE amounts of water to produce. Peas have a much lower water footprint to grow than other milk alternatives and a much lower carbon footprint than raising cows. 

High in protein. Pea milk is rich in branded-chain amino acids, which are a group of specialised amino acids that promote muscle growth and regulate blood sugar. Pea milk is much higher in protein than other plant-based milk alternatives and provides the same amount of protein as cow’s milk. 

Rich in nutrients. Like other milk alternatives, pea milk is enriched with potassium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D and iron. These nutrients don’t come naturally in the product, they are added to try and help market the product.

Smooth and creamy. Because pea milk is blended together with sunflower oil and water, it gives the product a smooth and creamy texture. This makes it more like cow’s milk, unlike other milk alternatives, which tend to be thin and watery. 

Cons

Blended with sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is high in omega-6. The human diet should be a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. However, for many people, this ratio is 20:1 omega-6 to omega-3 in many cases.

The taste is questionable. As with any food or drink, it all comes down to taste. Regardless of how healthy a food or drink is, if it’s disgusting, few are going to let it pass their taste buds. While taste is subjective, pea milk is different. It’s not disgusting but it is a taste you have to get used to.

Pea milk is the latest milk alternative to hit the market. There are certainly strong pros for it when compared to other types of milk, including cow’s milk. However, there are cons as well. Pea milk could be a great milk alternative if you want to continue consuming milk. 

The bottom line … Pea milk is good IF you want to continue drinking milk. 

Have you tried pea milk? If so, what did you think? If not, what type of milk (if any) do you drink? 

Leave your answer to that question in the comments section below. 

Photo by Mikołaj Idziak on Unsplash