While various milk alternatives have come and gone over the years (hemp milk, anyone!?) there’s one that undoubtedly reigns supreme: almond milk. Much to the delight of almond milk obsessives like myself, it’s at the point where you’re even more likely to find it in your local cafe than the OG non-dairy milk, soy.
But if a growing trend in the US is anything to go by, a surprising contender may be about to usurp almond milk’s title. Enter, pea milk.
Now, before you imagine adding a Shrek-coloured concoction that tastes like mushy peas to your coffee and close this article in disgust — hear us out. Peas have actually been part of the wellness world for a while, in the form of vegan protein powder. Much like these, US company Ripple Food’s pea milk is made from yellow peas and is quite neutral in taste. It’s made by milling the yellow peas into flour, then separating the pea protein from the fibre and starch. This protein is then purified and blended with water, sunflower oil, sea salt and fortified with vitamins like B12.
But why?!?
Okay, so it may not taste like it sounds. But why would you want to give up almond milk in favour of pea milk? Well, it’s far higher in protein than almond milk, serving up 10 grams of protein per serving, compared to the one gram that many almond milks offer. This means it’s just as high in protein as most dairy milks but with 20% of the calories, a sixth of the saturated fat and half the sugar. It also contains DHA omega-3 fatty acids (the good kind), as well as iron and vitamin D.
Pea milk is just as amazing for the environment as it is for you. According to Ripple Foods, each bottle (which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled material) represents a savings of 1.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions and 3500 litres, versus dairy milk.
Ripple Foods’ pea milks are available in five flavours: original, unsweetened original, vanilla, unsweetened vanilla and chocolate. Currently, it’s only available in the States but according to SBS Foods, they have plans to take on other markets in the near future. We’ll be waiting!
You can find out more about Ripple Foods here.
