Pea Milk Is the UK’s Next Vegan Milk Obsession

Pea milk is set to be the UK’s next vegan food craze, according to Whole Foods.

A new player in the dairy-free milk field is emerging that could shake up the vegan dairy industry. Alongside soy, almond, oat, coconut, rice, and hemp milk, drinks made from pea protein are becoming more popular.

In its UK food trend predictions for 2019, Whole Foods revealed it would introduce the first pea protein-based dairy-free milk brand to the UK. Made by the Mighty Society, the product is set to appear on Whole Foods shelves this year.

Compared to cow’s milk, the Mighty Society’s pea milk has 40 percent less sugar and twice the calcium content. It’s high in fibre, low in saturated, and even sizes up better than some other dairy-free options, delivering eight grams of protein per glass – eight times more than almond milk. On top of this, pea milk is fortified with vitamin D and B12.

It’s more sustainable, too. It takes 100 times more water to farm almonds than peas and 25 times more water than dairy.

The Mighty Society’s pea milk is made with yellow split peas, giving the beverage a creamy colour as well as high amounts of iron and the amino acid lysine, which is a building block of protein.

Dairy Declining, Vegan Rising

As the environmental and health risks of dairy become more known, more consumers are leaving the product out of their shopping carts and reaching for plant-based milk instead.

Veganism is becoming increasingly popular, especially in the UK, which has some of the highest rates of plant-based diets in the world. Now, businesses are scrambling to keep up with demand.

In the UK, nearly 30 percent of people aged 18 to 24-years-old reduced their dairy intake over the last two years. Similar patterns have been observed overseas; 48 percent of dairy-drinking Americans are now buying vegan milk, too.

More people are getting creative in the kitchen by choosing to make their own vegan dairy-style products at home. ECOPEACEFUL sells organic nut milk bags that can be used to create homemade dairy-free milk. You can also create your own vegan yogurt at home with starter cultures, while cheese-lovers can make dairy-free Mozzarella, Ricotta, Halloumi, and Parmesan with vegan cheese making kits.