When you think of non-dairy milk, what do you think of? Usually, you’ll think of milk that is made from oats, almonds, hemp, soybeans, or coconut, but there is a new non-dairy milk in town and it’s called potato milk. If you just winced a little, you’re not alone. After all, how can you make milk out of potatoes? Believe it or not, potato milk is a thing right now, and it offers a ton of benefits. This includes two main benefits: a much healthier alternative to other types of non-dairy milk and a more sustainable type of milk that is good for the planet.
Where Does Potato Milk Come From?
Potato milk is made out of peeled and boiled potatoes, as well as some added ingredients such as vanilla extract, maple syrup, and sometimes even crushed almond. When you find potato milk in the stores, it usually has certain things added to it, such as calcium, vitamins D and B12, and folic acid. For right now, only one company makes potato milk. Their product is called DUG, and it’s taking Europe by storm. DUG milk comes in three different varieties – original, barista, and unsweetened – although it’s not found in the United States right now, most people predict that it will make its way here soon.
Keep in mind that if you make potato milk at home, which many people are doing since the commercial product is so difficult to find in a lot of countries, you’ll only be adding a few ingredients besides the potatoes. On the other hand, commercial potato milk usually has the following ingredients added to it:
- Pea protein
- Maltodextrin
- Rapeseed oil
- Chicory fiber
- Fructose (a sugar)
- Sucrose (a sugar)
- Calcium carbonate
- Natural flavor
- Sunflower lecithin (an emulsifier)
- Acidity regulator
- Vitamins
Potato milk is very healthy for you, and it is also healthy for the planet. Let’s take a look at these two areas surrounding this mysterious type of milk.
Nutritional Benefits of Potato Milk
Potatoes are a root vegetable and a heart-healthy veggie at that. The vitamins and minerals in potatoes lower the risks of developing not only heart disease but also diabetes and some types of cancer. Potatoes can help you control your blood sugar and have starch that helps improve digestive functions. Potatoes also have a lot of magnesium, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. They are low in sugar and fat and have no allergens such as soy that many other ingredients used in making milk have.
Potatoes also have about three grams of fiber and three grams of protein in each eight-ounce serving, and store-bought potato milk also contains vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and folic acid. Potato milk also has about 3% fat just like dairy milk does, but it is mostly unsaturated fat and not the unhealthy kind. Finally, potato milk contains only 39 calories for every 100 ml serving; the same serving of dairy milk has 68 calories. So if you’re watching your weight, potato milk is the way to go.
Environmental Benefits of Potato Milk
Environmentally, potato milk has tons of benefits. As a general rule, all plant-based milk is more sustainable than dairy milk. It is, for the most part, an “eco-friendly” type of milk! Think of it this way: potatoes are a laid-back crop that needs only a tiny bit of work. Thanks to this fact alone, potatoes can be considered more sustainable than oats, almonds, soybeans, and any other plant-based milk. When it comes to climate footprints, potato milk is 75% lower than the footprint for cow milk.
Potato milk also needs 56 times less water to grow than almonds and half as much land as growing oats. Regardless of how you look at it, potatoes are much more sustainable than other plant-based milk ingredients because they use a lot less resources. This alone is a great reason for switching to potato milk, especially if you’re someone who cares about the planet and is interested in doing things to reduce your carbon footprint while you’re on Earth.
Can You Make Your Own Potato Milk?
You can indeed make your own potato milk, which is a good idea considering that in many countries, including the United States, commercially made potato milk is unavailable. There are numerous recipes for potato milk on the Internet, but one of the simplest is to take a large Russet potato, peel it and boil it in some water with a little salt added, then add some maple syrup to taste once the potato gets soft. Afterward, all you have to do is add some vanilla for flavor, which is optional, and strain the mixture in a nut milk bag or some cheesecloth. When you’re ready, just drink up!
Potato milk also tends to have a nice creamy texture and even foams up nicely in case you’d like to add it to your espresso or latte drink. Some people even use potato milk as a coffee creamer because of its great texture and taste. If you try a certain potato milk recipe but don’t like the taste, you can either move onto another recipe or add ingredients of your own to make it taste like you want it to taste. You can even add more water if you like to make sure your potato milk is the right consistency for your tastes. In other words you can get very creative when making your own potato milk.
Conclusion
Potato milk is indeed a thing these days, and when you consider how good it is for both your health and the environment, you won’t wonder why it’s becoming so popular. Although it isn’t found in the United States just yet, most people predict it will be here soon. Look for a product called DUG, a healthy potato milk that is available in three different flavors, including unsweetened. If you wish to switch from dairy milk for health reasons, potato milk is definitely something you should try. Or, you can try making your own potato milk, which seems to be very easy considering all of the recipes you can find online.