Zero-Waste Oat Milk
Buying non-dairy milk has become quite the venture with all the options out there and finding one that not only tastes good but is the best option for the planet is important to me. I found out about JOI (Just One Ingredient) about a year ago and have worked on collabs in the past with them. They make nut bases that are shelf-stable and can be stored at room temp for months which is so helpful. Originally there was just an organic and regular version of almond and cashew, but now they have expanded to an oat base and a cashew hazelnut oat creamer base. I am not sure how they work the voodoo they do, but they are just using whole almonds (minus the skins), cashews, and oats to make these bases. You just add a couple of tablespoons to water and blend or shake until well combined to make the creamiest milk ever. Packed with natural protein, fat, and fiber, these easy to make milks take seconds to make and I love the fact it is shelf stable until you make milk. I usually make two cups at a time and use them within a couple of days. Even if I need milk for a recipe and I don’t have any made, in a blink of an eye you can make a batch. I prefer to use the organic bases over the regular ones and like to always have both on hand. I use the almond base for sweeter recipes or things like cereal or smoothies, and the cashew to cook with because it has a creamy, savory taste to it.
The other amazing thing about JOI is the fact they produce less waste than the regular non-dairy milk containers. Obviously, the ideal situation would be to make all my milks fresh and homemade, but that’s just not reasonable with my lifestyle. There are 27 servings in each base compared to the 4-8 servings the leading store brand containers hold. They have an 18-month shelf life which makes keeping them in the pantry a dream. Unlike the standard 1- and 2-quart containers, these are in 100% recyclable packaging with the almond, cashew, and creamer tubs. The protein is 2 grams high than standard non-dairy milks if protein is a concern of yours, and there is no added sugar. From an environmental standpoint, they are leading the industry because one truckload of JOI is equal to five truckloads of non-dairy milk in a carton. One tub ends up saving seven milk cartons from the landfill so that makes me feel better about not making it from scratch.
Now they upped the zero-waste game with their delicious oat base. It comes in a 100% compostable container that I can toss in my compost when I am done with it! How amazing is that?! I have finally found a way to make a non-dairy milk that is as eco-friendly as I am going to get for my lifestyle, and I am confident in my carbon footprint when it comes to my milk consumption. I am finishing the current tubs I have of almond, cashew, and creamer and I think I will move exclusively to the oat base. I might occasionally buy the cashew base because it is amazing in recipes straight up, especially sauces and dressings. Since the oats are not liquidly like the almond and cashew bases, adding them straight up to a recipe isn’t the same as adding the others. Oddly enough, as I am writing this blog and looking over their website, they dropped an announcement today that all their original bases will no longer be in plastic tubs, and they are moving to glass jars!! Per part of their press release that you can find here, “From day one, sustainability has been a grounding value at JOI. However, we’ve also been realistic that our goals weren’t going to happen overnight. We’ve prioritized giving ourselves the grace to do what we can, at the point we’re at, and make improvements as it makes sense for our business and the customer experience we can provide.” They worked to come up with the oat milk in the compostable packaging as a first step to making all their products come in zero-waste containers. I love glass jars and can’t get enough so this just confirms my earlier statements about continuing to buy the cashew base. The shipping box the products come in are also recyclable, but I always reuse them because they are a great size, and the paper filling is handy to have.
I know there are other milk base systems like the Almond Cow-Plant Based Milk Maker, but with JOI you can just use your blender, blender bottle, or whisk and jar if that’s all you have. No need for another machine or system with JOI and I like that.
In my opinion it is the best non-dairy milk product on the market from a quality standpoint, as well as an environmental one which is at the base of all my buying decisions. Being vegan for me is about making sure I give my money to companies with the same values and drive to reduce their carbon footprint. I want to leave the world a better place than I found it, while not missing out on my favorites foods and drinks and I think I can do that with buy JOI exclusively.
What do you think about using a nut milk base in place of traditional containers of non-dairy store bought milk? Is it something you would do? Let me know in the comments below. If you search JOI or AddJOI in the archives of my recipes you can find the ones I have used them in to make for yourself. You can also use PLANTBASEDLIVIN at checkout for 10% off.
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
