I am always looking for alternatives to dairy, but was struggling to find an alternative to cow's milk. I absolutely hate soya milk and rice milk but when I saw a carton of Oatly Oatmilk I thought I would give it a try.


++ABOUT OATLY++
Oatly is a range of products made from oats, as alternatives to dairy. All products are milk- and soya-free, and vegetable based. They are suitable for dairy-intolerants and vegetarians. They are recommended for gluten-intolerants but they recommend checking with a doctor first.

It can be drunk as it is, or it can be used in recipes as an alternative to dairy milk.


++INGREDIENTS/NUTRITIONAL INFO++
Oat base (water, organic oats), sea salt. (All cultivated ecologically)

100ml has 6.5g carbs and 0.7g fat. It is rich in soluble oat fibres which is said to lower cholestorol, and contains vitamin E. Regular consumption is said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.


++PACKAGING++
It comes in a standard tetra pak with a screw cap on the top which saves having to cut a corner to get the milk out!


++LOOK/SMELL++
On pouring the product into a glass, it doesn't resemble cow's milk. It's an off-white colour, similar to the colour of wallpaper paste!! It also appears really thin and almost looks as if it has been watered down. On first impressions it didn't look too appetising, although the smell made up for this. Its faint, but it has a sweet, porridge smell.


++TASTE++
I was a bit dubious about this; as I said above I hate soya and rice milk, and although I can take cow's milk with cereal, tea, etc I don't particularly like drinking it on its own so I wasn't sure if I would like this. However it has a mild, slightly sweet taste that is similar to porridge (not surprisingly as it's made from oats!) so if you like porridge, you'd probably like the taste of this. It's not something I will drink on its own but this is not because it doesn't taste nice, it's simply because milk of any kind is not something I tend to drink. It's definitely palatable and pleasant enough as a drink.

I use it on my cereal and find I enjoy it more than cow's milk anyway as it seems lighter, plus I enjoy the taste more as it has a sweeter tinge. I've tried it in tea and coffee but I didn't enjoy the taste, however I prefer herbal teas to regular tea/coffee anyway so this could have something to do with it. I just didn't feel that the taste went well with the milk.

I mainly use the milk in smoothies as a substitute for orange juice. It is nice blended with sharper flavours such as kiwi fruits or passion fruits. It's also nice blended with half a banana and some berries.

I haven't tried baking or cooking with it I'm afraid. I don't tend to do baking so can't say whether or not this would be a suitable substitute. If I ever do feel the need to bake I'd give this a go though. It's a great substitute for milk in everything else I've used it in so would be happy to bake with it if the occasion arose!


++PRICE AND AVAILABILITY++
Currently available in most large supermarkets in 1 litre cartons for about £1.40.


++CONCLUSION++
Finally! A nice tasting versatile alternative to cow's milk.