Is the Best Store-Bought Oat Milk Fortified?
Some oat milk brands add minerals, vitamins and even protein to mirror the nutritional profile of dairy milk. These packages might boast about the content of calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B-12. But do you need this?
Personally, I use oat milk in place of cow’s milk, but I am not looking for the nutrition that I would get from cow’s milk. I eat a healthy diet and supplement with a multi-vitamin and vitamin D, so I choose a non-fortified oat milk.
You may prefer a fortified oat milk if you’re seeking a nutritional replacement for dairy. None of the Best Stuff is in this category because of the additional ingredients. If you want a decent fortified oat milk, check out some of the products listed in Okay Stuff.
Hidden Scary Stuff in Oat Milk
Glyphosate, the carcinogenic active ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp and other herbicides, is widely used in the cultivation of oats and many other common crops.
In 2018, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) commissioned two studies that found concerning levels of glyphosate in an alarming number of common oat-based cereals and foods. These included including popular children’s foods. In fact, most of the conventional products had elevated levels of glyphosate, and about a third of organic products did, thanks to cross-contamination.
Because of this, we only call oat milk Good Stuff if it’s organic and/or certified glyphosate-residue free by The Detox Project. The best store-bought oat milk is both organic and glyphosate-residue free.
If oat milk is a staple in your diet, I highly recommend that you opt for a glyphosate-free product.
As you'll see in our lists below of Good, Bad, and Sneaky oat milks, you'll see that we suggest that you avoid all the brands of oat milk that aren’t organic and/or glyphosate free, as well as those that have longer lists of ingredients–-including lower-quality oils, sugars, and additives. Oat milk brands that we call Okay Stuff are organic and/or glyphosate free and have relatively simple ingredients. That said, I personally do not buy any of these brands, as they contain additives.