One glass of potato milk, please

Yes – you read that correctly. It’s milk – from a potato. Potatoes are sustainable, delicious, and versatile. Whether they’re mashed, boiled, fried, you often can’t go really wrong when it comes to consuming something made from the root vegetable — and so it’s uncursing that we now embark on a new use of the potato: potato milk.Potato milk is an ideal alternative to dairy milk and other plant-based alternatives, because while it maintains a milk white aesthetic and similar texture to other ‘milk beverages,’ it’s by far the most sustainable. The Guardian notes that producing potato milk requires 56 times less water than almond milk, and half the land it takes to grow the same amount of oats needed to make milk from oats.Plus, potato milk is ideal for sensitive systems, as it’s free of common allergens like dairy, lactose, eggs, grains, soy, and nuts. Of course, it’s vegan, gluten-free, as well as being very low in sugar and saturated fats, while maintaining high levels of calcium and Vitamin D. Soy milk is often criticised for its links to deforestation. However, there is evidence that indicates that land cleared for soy production is for animal agriculture, not to produce plant milk. 80 percent of soy crop is grown as feed for livestock animals. In addition, almond milk is often considered as the worst plant milk for the environment in terms of water use, land use, and emissions. To produce just one litre of milk requires 371 litres of water — which is not sustainable for the future in terms of the impact on the environment. But the truth is, whichever plant milk you choose, all will have a much lower carbon footprint than dairy, with nutritional and ethical benefits alongside too. Potato milk, not as well-known as the other plant-based milks but certainly increasing in popularity, contain antioxidants which may help reduce chances of developing chronic diseases including cancer. Due to its high starch content, potatoes are also linked to improved digestive functions.As strange as potato juice might sound to us, if you live in Switzerland or Germany the idea of drinking potato juice won’t be new, as it’s a traditional remedy in both countries for stomach problems and joint pains. More people than ever before are turning away from traditional cow milk in search of plant-based alternatives amidst concerns of the detrimental effects farming can have on the environment. In 2020, researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products could reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 73 percent. The study, published in the journal Science, examined data from nearly 40,000 farms in 119 countries and found that meat and dairy production was responsible for 60 per cent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.* The author is an expert in vegan well-being and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92