There is a movement towards more plant-based diets, whether that be vegan or ‘flexitarian’. Obviously, diet choice is completely personal. There are some benefits to more plant-based eating, for health, the environment, and animal welfare. For example, studies have found a protective effect of a vegetarian diet versus the incidence of heart disease and cancer; a plant-based diet was found to have a protective role against chronic disease mortality and including more plant variety in the diet (30+ is the magic number) can have a positive effect on the diversity and health of your gut microbiome.

For those children who do not have diagnosed gluten allergies and are not on hypoallergenic formula, unsweetened calcium-fortified oat milk alternatives, such as MYOM Original Oat can be used from one year of age as part of a healthy, balanced diet which contains plenty of calcium, protein, and energy. If you’re opting for an alternative milk, it’s important to go for fortified option like MYOM, which have levels of nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine similar or better than those found in cow’s milk.

MYOM is a source of calcium, we fortify it with calcium carbonate. It contains 130mg of calcium in 100ml of made-up MYOM, which is slightly higher than that found in the same quantity of semi-skimmed cow’s milk (120mg) and is 16% of your recommended intake. Research has found that absorption by the body of the calcium in calcium carbonate fortified plant milk is very similar to cow’s milk (1).  MYOM is also a source of vitamin D, which helps to support normal calcium absorption and bone health.

MYOM is completely free of any added sugar. You will see some sugar on our nutritional information, this is only ever naturally occurring sugar from the oats. In fact, you’ll see our level (1.9g per 100ml of made-up MYOM) is lower than other leading oat milk brands and semi-skimmed cow’s milk.

MYOM is low-fat, containing 1.4g fat per 100ml when made-up, and 0.2g of that is saturated fats. This fat comes from the oats and rapeseed oil in MYOM, and the levels would be classified ‘green’ in the traffic light labelling system.

MYOM contains 0.4g protein per 100ml (once freshly made-up) which is like other available plant-based milks and nut milks. The recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for protein is 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day for average weight adults. For health it is important to eat a range of protein-containing foods, including plant-based sources such as beans, pulses, and lentils. Remember that our protein needs can differ across the life course, and dependant on lifestyle. For example, people who intensely exercise protein requirements can increase.

We cannot guarantee or certify MYOM as gluten-free at the moment. Although there are no gluten-containing ingredients used (as oats are not a gluten-containing grain), due to the way oats are processed there is risk of cross-contamination with gluten.

Iodine is often a less talked about mineral than calcium, but it is crucial for cognitive development (brain health) and thyroid function. Given the thyroid influences the function of many bodily processes, it’s so important not to forget this mineral. Yet a lot of plant milk alternatives seem to, many not fortifying with iodine. In the UK one of the most common sources of iodine in the diet is from cow’s milk. Research has found that those that solely use alternative milks had significantly lower iodine intakes and were more commonly found to be deficient (6). Therefore, we feel it’s important to include this mineral in our plant milk. MYOM is a source of iodine (providing 20% of your recommended intake per 100ml). We fortify it with 30μg/100ml which is in line with the amount found in 100ml of semi-skimmed cow’s milk.

No nuts (peanuts or tree nuts*) are used as an ingredient in MYOM, or within our factory. We also make sure we have strict protocols in place with our factory and ingredient suppliers to control for this. *In the US, the FDA class coconut as a tree nut. It is not classified as this in the UK so please note our factory does handle coconut.

Although vitamin D isn’t found in cow’s milk, we chose to supercharge MYOM to be a source of vitamin D providing 15% of your recommended daily intake in 100ml (0.75μg). It not only supports your body to utilise the calcium found in MYOM, but it also supports your levels, as many of the population are thought to be deficient. We chose to use vegan-friendly D3, this is plant-sourced and may be more effective at increasing levels of vitamin D in the blood than the more commonly used D2.

We don’t make MYOM with any wheat-based ingredients. However, due to the way that oats are handled and processed there is a risk of cross-contamination. Therefore, sadly we can’t say that MYOM is wheat-free.

MYOM could be a great alternative for people who find dairy can trigger their IBS symptoms, however triggers are always unique. Some people experiencing IBS may follow a low FODMAP diet for a short period. The low FODMAP diet was first developed by Monash University who are still pioneers in this research. The FODMAP content of oat milks can differ, we haven’t yet tested ours yet, but in general, it is thought that in small quantities (30ml serves), oat milk is low FODMAP, but should be avoided in higher quantities. Remember you should only follow a restricted diet under the care of a nutrition professional, so it is best to check with your practitioner.

If you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, it may be necessary to make changes to the food you eat. We do not add any phosphate additives into MYOM, but we do use potassium iodide. As the dietary needs can differ between individuals, it is best to talk to your kidney dietitian or doctor to discuss the best plant-based milk alternative for you.

We always strive to make the best possible product for our customers, for this reason, we have chosen never to use Dipotassium Phosphate in our products. If you want to read more about this, we have a blog post here.