By Alyona Pakhnev
In a market saturated with dairy alternatives, Plant Protein Milk from Bolthouse Farms deserves its own spot. I had a the pleasure of tasting their milk products a little while ago, and they were truly delicious. Beyond that, though, they offer nutritional benefits I have yet to find in other products in the market.
Let’s talk about the taste first. I tasted the Original and Unsweetened milk flavors. Both were incredibly smooth to the palate, and had a rich and almost nutty flavor. Both varieties appeared very well-balanced, and had no strange aftertaste, which sometimes occurs in plant-based milks. I had the milks on their own, as well as mixed with cold-brew coffee, and even steamed and added to a hot reishi mushroom beverage. The flavor remained consistently pleasant when combined with each of these elixirs, and added a lot of richness and fun to my beverages. I found the Bolthouse Farms milks to be rich, thick and creamy… much more so than most nut and soy milks I’ve tried.
Now let’s discuss nutrition. Bolthouse Farms milk is vegan, non-GMO, and boasts a whopping 10 grams of protein per serving! That’s a lot of nourishing, lovely protein to get with your glass of vegan milk! It also has a good amount of Vitamin D, B12 and calcium, and is relatively low in carbs and sugar. The unsweetened version actually has only one carb – great for those of us living La Vida Low Carb.
I wish I could say I adore every single ingredient on the list, but admittedly, sunflower oil and dipotassium phosphate don’t get me too jazzed. Fortunately, these ingredients only make up less than 2% of the ingredients, and most of the milk consists of nutritious pea protein and water.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the plethora of ways in which I enjoyed the lovely Bolthouse milks. First came the cold brew latte. Yum!! The milks added so much creamy goodness to my latte, even making me forget just how much caffeine I was having (though I suppose I won’t blame my caffeined-up, chatterbox state on Bolthouse). Next, I wanted to see how the milk would hold up on its own (with a side of cookie, of course). The milk did very well there too – I had a fantastic cookie and milk experience (plus, all those lovely grams of protein!)
The final test, of course, was how the milk would hold up in a hot state, for my steamed chai latte or one of my reishi mushroom elixirs. The milk heated and frothed very well, adding a depth and richness that I am not used to having in my hot drinks. They were downright incredible!
My overall assessment is that Bolthouse milk is a great choice to add to your vegan milk protocol. It comes in original, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavors, and is available in the refrigerated section of a number of retailers (Safeway, Target, etc). Pour yourself a creamy glass and and enjoy!!!
About the Author: Alyona Pakhnev resides in San Francisco. She is a health and nutrition enthusiast, and on most days can be found at the local Farmer’s Market or experimenting in her kitchen with seasonal ingredients and superfoods. She is inspired by the vitality that comes from healthy habits, and in turn inspires those around her on a daily basis. She is also an avid traveler that loves adventure and exploring new places: her adventures include hiking solo in Norway, studying abroad in Paris, and, most recently, ziplining and bodysurfing in Hawaii.
Thanks to Bolthouse for sending products to review.
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