Pea milk contains calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. It is low in calories and saturated fat. Also pea milk is healthier than some animal products.

Cow milk has a number of benefits for your child. It contains loads of nutrition such as calcium, protein, fat, vitamin D etc. But some children are allergic to dairy; they suffer from lactose intolerance. So you need some alternative milk. There is almond milk, rice milk, soy milk and even hemp milk in the market. Though each of these have some or the other benefits, they have some downfalls too. Have you heard of Pea Milk?? Yes, to overcome and counteract the various disadvantages of other milk alternatives, pea milk is a good choice.

What is Pea Milk?

If you are searching for an alternative to milk substitutes, then you can consider pea milk. The Washington post had recently came out with the tagline “get ready for pea milk. It does not taste like peas and it’s not even green.” It is interesting, and in fact there is a company called Ripple Foods which is churning out pea milk in increasing amounts.

The company uses yellow pea, and not green one you know of, to make pea milk. It mills the peas, makes four out of it, mixes the powder with sunflower oil and water and makes pea milk. There are sweetened versions of the milk which are also treated with organic cane sugar.

Nutritional Content of Pea Milk

The nutrition content of pea milk is significant when compared to cow milk. It has about the same amount of protein as cow milk, good amount of potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iron, and about 50% more calcium compared to cow milk. Moreover, the unsweetened version contains about half the sugar content of cow milk for the same quantity. It is free from the harmful elements of egg, gluten, dairy, nut and soy. Even doctors are intrigued by the nutritional content of this new kid in the block.

A common message that some doctors do proclaim these days is that plant based diet is healthier compared to animal based diet. So it can be a good alternative to children who are allergic to the protein present in cow milk. However, since it does not contain much fat, you need to complement it with something like a half of an avocado or even some nut butter regularly. However, before proceeding with this diet plan you need to consult the doctor.

Flavours of Pea Milk

Pea milk is available in various flavours – vanilla, chocolate and original. It may taste like a smoothie with a silky and creamy, but not too heavy texture. The flavour will linger in your tongue for some time. You will just love it.

8 Amazing Health Benefits of Pea Milk for Your Kids

Pea milk can also be a good alternative to cow milk and leafy green vegetables. Let us see some of the benefits of pea milk.

Healthier than some animal products

Parents try to overcome nutritional deficiencies through animal protein like meat, fish and egg. Apart from these, pea milk can also be added to your list of must-haves for your baby. It is also free from gluten, dairy, soy and nut. So if your child has allergy to gluten and dairy products you can take this milk to him.

Low calories

Pea milk is also low in calories. You can add pea milk to his diet without increasing the load of calorie. In fact the calorific content pea milk is much less compared to cow milk. Having said that pea milk does not deplete your child from energy.

Low in saturated fat

Saturated fat, the culprit among fats is responsible for a host of problems in the human body including high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It is present in very small amount in pea milk. In fact, the saturated fat content of pea milk is about 17% of that in cow milk. So the risks associated with saturated fat like obesity in children can be mitigated to a large extent if you offer pea milk to your child.

Omega-3 fatty acids

The milk also contains Omega-3 fatty acids. These are heart healthy fatty acids and can help your child nurture a healthy heart.

Vitamin D

Cow milk contains Vitamin D, and consumption of vitamin D is essential for your child since it is associated with bone growth. Can you give the required amount of Vitamin D to your child without cow milk? Yes, you can, since pea milk comes fortified with Vitamin D.

Calcium

Your little one requires her daily dose of calcium for bone growth and development. Child getting enough calcium through her diet is the common cause of concern for every parent. Especially with those children who are allergic to cow’s milk, as cow milk is known to contain high amounts of calcium. Parents can now put their worries to ease. Pea milk also contains good amount of calcium. So you don’t need to think about the calcium intake of your child.

Cost of Pea Milk

Though the cost is somewhat on the higher side now, it is slated to come down as more and more people are consuming it. Given the nutritional content and all the other benefits, pea milk may well become a regular part of our grocery list in future.

To conclude, Pea milk is not a substitute for cow milk, but if your child is allergic to cow milk, you may try to offer pea milk to him.

References

https://www.gq.com/story/what-is-pea-milk