5 Very Easy Homemade Non-dairy and Soy-Free Milks

The rise of plant-based milk

Nowadays, plant-based milk is experiencing its boom in a vegan market. The consumers’ demand for non-dairy milk has been rising in the last few years. In Australia, the popularity of so-called ‘alternative milk has been increasing approximately 6% annually over the last 5 years.

The market research says that most of the consumers turn away from drinking cow milk because of their lactose intolerance. Another big group of consumers avoids animal products in due some food trends. For instance, there is a large number of Australians who have become vegans over the last few years and this number is still growing!

The range of non-dairy and also soy-free milk is very broad. There are so many varieties based on seeds or nuts. Naming just a few: almond, coconut, hazelnut, rice, oat, macadamia, sesame, hemp or poppy seeds.

How do vegans get enough calcium?

Non-dairy milk is also an amazing source of calcium. The society believes that it is a bit strange or at least unusual to get calcium from plants but the truth is that even meat eaters receive about 40% of their daily calcium intake from plants! Omnivores eat greens, nuts, and seeds too so there should be no surprise.

Dairy industries want people to believe that drinking cow milk is essential in order to maintain a healthy, balanced diet with enough calcium. In fact, there is no need for drinking cow milk in adulthood. There have been many kinds of research about developing the intolerance for lactose which is present in cow milk. Nowadays, most of the world population is lactose intolerant because of losing the enzyme needed to break down and digest milk.

Let me tell you the truth. There is no such thing as ‘being lactose-intolerant’. Humans are simply not supposed to drink cow milk which is primarily produced for feeding calves. This ‘lactose intolerance’ is not something abnormal or seen as a special dietary requirement.

As a vegan, you are still able to get all necessary calcium from plants, seeds, and nuts. The best way how to incorporate calcium into your meals is to drink plant-based milk. You can prepare a delicious oat porridge, add it in a smoothie or simply drink it by itself as a tasty refreshing drink.

In this article, I share with you the very simple way how to make 5 different plant-based milks. If you are afraid of your daily calcium intake, I assure you that just 1 cup of fortified almond or rice milk contains about 300 mg of calcium which makes up about 33% of recommended daily intake!

1. Sesame milk

You need:

50 g sesame seeds

1/2 l water

Grind sesame seeds in a grinder and add 5 cups of water. Then leave the mix for 2-3 hours in a fridge. If you don’t want to wait, you can use the mix immediately. Then transfer the mix into a food processor and blend it very carefully until the mix is milky white.

You can use this sesame milk immediately after for your oat porridge, otherwise, sieve the milk through a very fine sieve. If you like your milk sweet, add 2-3 soaked dates and blend the whole mix again. In this case, the amount of calcium will be a bit lower but it doesn’t affect a great taste of this milk!

2. Hemp milk

You need:

100 g hemp seeds

1/2 l fresh water

Add water to a bowl of hemp unpeeled seeds and let soak overnight. Then pour all water away and add new fresh water in a ratio of 1:3 (seeds: water). Blend the mix in a food processor. Sieve it through a very fine sieve. You can add a little bit of maple syrup if you like your milk sweeter.

Hemp seed milk is an amazing source of protein and many essential vitamins and minerals. By consuming hemp seed you get an almost ideal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid.

3. Almond milk

You need:

150 g unpeeled almonds

1 l fresh water

Chop almonds and transform it into a bowl. Add 1 l of fresh water and leave it for 2-3 hours in a fridge. Stir a sediment from time to time. As a net step, pour the mix into a food processor and blend it carefully. You can use the milk immediately or sweeten, for example by adding maple syrup or mixed fruit. Then pour it ińto a glass bottle and keep it in a fridge.

Almond milk is a fantastic treatment for a acid reflux. If you wish to use almond milk for calming hyperacid stomach, don’t sweeten the almond milk. This milk is a rich source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

4. Poppy seed milk

You need:

150 g poppy seeds

1 l fresh water

Grind poppy seeds in a grinder. Put it in a bowl and add water. Then leave to soak for another 2-3 hours. From time to time, stir a sediment. Then blend it carefully in a blender and sieve it.

Poppy seed milk has a similar characteristic as almond milk. It is a good treatment for acid flux. In this case, don’t sweeten the milk. It is also such a great source of calcium – 100 ml poppy seed milk contains around 1460 mg of calcium!

5. Rice milk

You need:

185 g (1 cup) rice

1 l water

Bring water to a boil. Then add rice and 1/2 sea salt. Reduce heat to a minimum and simmer for another 3-3 1/2 hours. Stir it regularly throughout the boiling process. As the last step, blend boiled rice with 1 l fresh water until smooth. Then strain through a fine sieve. You can sweeten it with vanilla sugar or maple syrup.

Rice milk is very low in fat. Therefore it is safe to consume it while on a reducing diet. Rice milk is a rich source of niacin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, and iron.

It’s so easy to make milk at home!

Now, when you know how easy is to make plant-based milk at home, will you make some? You need a minimum of ingredients and this milk is sooo good! Apart from health benefits I mentioned throughout the article, they are also very tasty!

How did you with making your own plant-based milk? Let me know and share in comments below!