Overherd Oat Milk Review: A Creamy and Sustainable Dairy Alternative
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Taking on an eco-conscious diet has become more and more important to many people. Many of us are all too aware of the impact that meat and dairy industries are having on our planet in terms of climate change, deforestation and animal exploitation and this has resulted in an increase of people turning to vegan and vegetarian diets in recent years. I am one of those people. Having spent almost 37 years as a meat eater, 3 years ago I took the step to cut meat out of my diet for the sake of the planet and I haven’t looked back, so now I am trying my best to also cut down on my dairy intake where I can (one step at a time).
Thankfully with many delicious and sustainable alternatives to traditional dairy products coming to market, it is becoming much easier to make sustainable food swaps these days. One name that’s recently been making waves in the realm of plant-based beverages is Overherd Oat Milk which I have been trying out over the last few weeks and this is my honest review…
About Overherd
Overherd is a brand new oat milk company set in the lovely countryside of North Yorkshire, UK. Having only launched in January of this year they are eager to get the word out about their innovative product – powdered oat milk.
Learning that traditional oat milk is made up of 90% water, the brains behind Overherd, thought to themselves…
“If oat milk is 90% water, then why not add the water at home instead? It would reduce packaging, cut food waste, and lower the carbon footprint”
Overherd Website
And so the idea grew and developed and a more sustainable oat milk was born – lightweight, recyclable packaging, sustainably sourced ingredients and UK made, what more could anyone want?!
Overherd Oat Milk Review
First Impressions
I always first look at how eco-friendly the packaging of a sustainable product is and I am happy to report back that the Overherd Oat Milk arrived in a cardboard box with paper tape and brown paper filling. Definitely a good start. The powdered Oat Milk itself comes in a resealable and recyclable plastic packet. I know you may be reading this and thinking “not plastic” but there are reasonings behind this. Firstly, the company needed something that would protect the product both during transportation and within the home – paper just didn’t cut it. They did look into other options but quite often these so-called “biodegradable” or compostable packaging options need more than just a home compost bin (industrial composting) in order to breakdown and with many councils not offering a kerbside composting service, the only place this would end up would be landfill/incineration. With soft plastics you can simply pop them in at the supermarket recycling bins and (hope) they will be sent off to be fully recycled. The plastic is lightweight, again helping to reduce carbon emissions during transportation, plus Overherd has informed me that the pouch is digitally printed using carbon-neutral methods. They have also said that they will continue to pursue other packaging options and are always open to feedback/help on this. They really have thought so much through and are completely transparent something I really like to see from a company.
The overall look of the pouch is simple, eye-catching and fun. I love their logo design and it’s quite refreshing to see a sustainable product using a colour other than green. Being packaged in this way also means that it can be easily stored in the cupboard and as it is a powder it has a longer shelf life than other oat milk products.
The Ingredients
The Overherd Oat Milk contains:
Oats (surprise, surprise!) – Organic, gluten free & sustainably grown. Oats are a low-input crop compared to other plant milk varieties
Coconut MCT Powder– Provides creaminess and healthy fats. Overherd says: Our MCT powder comes from coconut oil. Every part of the plant gets used, the husk for biofuel, the milk is drunk, and the flesh is consumed.
Chicory Root – Gives the milk its smoothness as well as being a great prebiotic. Sustainably sourced from Belgium.
Calcium Carbonate and Vitamin B12 – To aid a healthy plant-based diet.
How To Use Overherd Oat Milk
As this comes in powder form rather than liquid there are 2 ways in which you can use this product.
- Using their recycled bamboo fibre measuring scoop add 20g of Overherd to a bottle or jar. Measure out 200 ml of water, pour this into your bottle/jar and give it a quick shake. For a creamier oat milk simply add more of the product until you’re happy with the consistency.
- If you want to use Overherd in a hot drink the easiest way to add it is in the powder form. This can be added until you get the desired colour/look/taste and provides your hot drink with a wonderfully creamy texture.
Trying Overherd Oat Milk
I’ve tried oat milk in the past and always liked it in cereal and porridge but the brand I had previously tried just didn’t seem to taste right in tea for me… And if you know me, you’ll know that I love my tea! So, I was eager to try this in several ways and to test it over several weeks so I could provide you with an honest, balanced review.
The first way I tried Overherd Oat Milk was with some Weetabix in the morning and I have to say it goes really well with an oaty cereal like this. It gave the breakfast a really nice creamy taste and helped to take away that bitter, grainy taste you can sometimes get with Weetabix. I added some fruit as well and the whole thing worked nicely.
I then tried it in porridge – I knew I’d like this anyway. Porridge and oat milk just pair perfectly, don’t they?
And so onto the tea, could I make it work? I’ll be honest, at first no. I made up the milk in my Overherd Bottle, added it to my tea and I just found it made it too watery and lacking in taste so I opted for the second way of using it and experimented with adding the powder bit by bit. The first cuppa was unfortunately far too creamy for my liking – I definitely went overboard with the Overherd! I’d say for coffee it probably would have been just right but as a tea drinker and someone who likes their tea strong, I needed to tweak my quantity. Turns out you don’t have to use much at all and once I worked this out I had a strong cup of my favourite tea that had a really lovely taste to it.
I’m not a coffee drinker but my husband is so he’s been trying it out made up with water, taking it straight from the fridge (once made up you can store the Overherd Oat Milk in the fridge for up to 3 days), in it’s powder form and then also in his fancy pants milk warming/frothing jug. He’s enjoyed trying different ways of making up his coffees and seeing the difference between this and ordinary cow’s milk (he isn’t vegan/veggie but he has been brilliant at cutting back on meat and dairy). As a big foody I can happily say he’s given the oat milk a big thumbs up!
You could also use this product in baking, for making pancakes, making sauces, in smoothies and more.
The Costings
One off purchase:
You can purchase a 400 g pouch (makes 4 litres) for £6.99 and an 800g pouch for £12.99
Or
Subscribe and save:
If you subscribe you will be able to purchase the 400g for £5.99 and the 800g for £10.99
You can set your own frequency and feel assured that you’ll never run out.
You could also choose to purchase a starter Bundle of an 800g bag along with the Overherd bottle for £16.99.
*Prices correct as of September 2023
Pros and Cons
Pros
- UK made
- Reduces carbon emissions
- Sustainably sourced ingredients
- Reduces food waste
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Easy to use/make up
- Long shelf life
- Resealable pouch
- Versatile
- Convenient (easy to pack for a trip/camping/taking to others homes)
- Great value for money
- Nutritious
Cons
- Plastic packaging
Good for the Planet, Good for You
Overall, this really is a fantastic product that is both good for the planet and for you. I love the focus the company has on reducing carbon emissions and food waste whilst providing a tasty dairy alternative for those who either want to reduce their dairy intake, are vegan or have dairy allergies or intolerances.
“for each litre of oat milk you chug, it saves 580 litres of water & 2.3kg of CO₂. Now that really adds up over a lifetime”
Overherd Website
If you like the sound of all of this and want to give Overherd a try I can give you a helping hand with my 15% off code EMMA15, just add it at the checkout on their website.
*I was sent the Overherd oat milk in exchange for an honest review. The code is an affiliate which means I will earn a small commission from each sale. This will not affect how much you spend or your shopping experience. For more information please refer to my disclosure page.
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