‘Milk’ing for vegan alternatives

HYDERABAD : It’s World Milk Day on June 1, but guess what’s stranger than that — milk from potatoes. Yes, you heard that right! The drink has been trending on social media for quite some time now, leaving many curious. What’s more, vegans are more than happy to welcome this new addition to their list of alternatives to dairy milk, apart from coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk and more. As peculiar as this sounds, we got you covered about the various benefits of potato milk and how you can use it in your food.

Dr Deepa Agarwal, founder and nutritionist at Nutriclinic, Banjara Hills shares how the milk is made: “Potato milk is the diluted starch from potato. It looks like milk because of the starchy nature of the potatoes, but it is actually just starchy water with some stabilisers. Potato milk could be good for those with allergies. It is rich in vitamin B12, riboflavin and folic acid.

Drinking potato milk instead of cow milk can help you keep your weight in a healthy range, as unsweetened potato milk has 39 calories per 100 ml compared to 68 calories per 100 ml for cow’s milk. Compared to other plant-based milks, potato milk is higher in monounsaturated fat, which is thought to be better for your heart. They are also lower in saturated fats than cow’s milk, which is said to be less healthy for our hearts.”

Sridevi Jasti, founder of Vibrant Living, Rai Durg, explains why potato milk has been trending. “People are looking for milk alternatives and are reaching out for different sources like almond, coconut and soy because dairy is being overused. Anything that has starch can be made into milk. And because potato is a starchy food and is thick, people are making milk out of it. People can use it in their cereals and use it as an alternative to regular milk, since it is extremely creamy. But potato milk could have a slightly saltier taste,” says she. 

Food blogger Vinit Molugu from Vinit’s Kitchen, says that the calcium and iron content in potato milk is similar to that of cow milk. He adds, “For people who have allergies and various intolerances, potato milk is free of dairy, gluttony, casein, fat, cholesterol and soy and so can be great for those watching what they’re eating. It can also be used in cold applications like granola, making chia pudding or in a vegan milkshake. You can also use it to add that extra creaminess to a soup after cooking.”