Oat Milk vs Skim Milk: Difference and Comparison

Milk is the most important source of nutrients for mammals and especially for human beings. It is a liquid food that is rich in nutrients like protein and lactose, and it helps strengthen the body’s immune system.

Dairy milk is collected from farm animals. Milk is so popular that almost 6 billion people consume it across the globe. Oat Milk and Skim Milk are two ways through which milk is derived, one from plants and the other from fat.

Key Takeaways

1. Oat milk is a plant-based alternative to dairy milk, while skim milk is low-fat dairy.
2. Oat milk is naturally sweeter than skim milk and has a creamier texture.
3. Skim milk has fewer calories and less fat compared to oat milk.

Oat Milk vs Skim Milk

The difference between Oat Milk and Skim Milk is that Oat Milk is higher in carbohydrates and fat than Skim Milk. Skim Milk has higher proteins than Oat Milk. Skim Milk has more amount of Vitamin A, B6, Thiamin, Niacin etc., than Oat Milk. In contrast, Oat Milk has more dietary fibre than Skim Milk.

Oat Milk, as the name suggests, is derived from oats grain. It is called plant milk, which means it is the plant juice extracted and resembles the colour of milk. It has a creamy texture, and it tastes just like oatmeal.

Oat Milk also comes in various flavours, like vanilla, chocolate, sweetened and unsweetened. In recent years the production of oat milk has grown widely. Many different products, like ice cream, yoghurt, coffee creamer etc., are made from it.

Skim Milk or Skimmed milk is extracted when the cream or fat of the milk is removed from whole milk. It contains very less amount of fat, almost 2%. Skim Milk is rich in protein and contains niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, Vitamin B6, A, B12, folate, etc.

It is very rich in potassium, iron, and calcium. Skim Milk is consumed to reduce the calorie intake in the body.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Oat Milk	Skim Milk
Origin	It originated in Sweden.	It originated in the United Kingdom.
Food energy	It has an energy of 120 kcal or 502 kJ.	It has an energy of 1072 kJ.
Nutritional value	It is higher in fats and carbohydrates.	It is higher in proteins, Potassium and contains vitamins.
Glycemic Index	69	37
Largest Producer	Russia is the largest producer of Oat Milk.	Germany is the largest producer of Oat Milk.

What is Oat Milk?

Oat Milk had its origin in the 13th century. It was developed in Sweden by Swedish Scientist Rickard Öste in the year 1990s. Oat Milk became popular in the 20th century because it was developed as an alternative to milk produced by animals on-farm, both culturally as well as commercially.

There was an increase in the consumption of oat milk globally because it was plant-based and was seen as a substitute for lactose-intolerant people. Oste was trying to develop and research sustainable food systems and opened Oatly, the first commercial oat milk manufacturer.

Oatly now has its products in almost 7000 coffee shops and grocery stores. The production of Oat Milk is very much the same as plant milk. It has many different uses, like kefir and yoghurt, which is fermented.

Oat milk is very tasty, rich, flavorful, and creamy and has less steam. It is widely used in coffee preparation in coffee shops. Oat Milk is used as a substitute for dairy milk and can be used for baking and cooking. It has many flavours like oatmeal, unsweetened, vanilla-sweetened or chocolate.

Russia is the largest producer of Oat milk in recent years. Oat Milk has become very popular in the United States and has increased 10 times. It has a food energy of 540 kJ. It is very rich in proteins and dietary fibres. Oat Milk is safe for the environment and has very less impact.

What is Skim Milk?

Skim Milk is very good when you have to reduce calorie consumption. It has no fat and is considered ideal for losing weight. It is not creamy as oat milk, and it is very thin and light in consistency.

Skim milk is believed to be originated in the United Kingdom in the year 1990s. But it became more popular in the United States of America in the 20th century. Skim milk has more pantothenic acid, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin A, B6, B12 and folate.

It contains very high proteins, almost 170% more than oat milk and has 34 calories per 100 grams. It has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams. It is very low in cholesterol and saturated fat. It also contains Vitamin D, and E. Skim Milk maintains a balance in the body’s food intake.

Skim Milk tastes like water and is not considered good for cooking and baking. It is produced through the process of centrifugation by spinning whole milk, and fat droplets are separated. It consists of 13 essential nutrients.

It is made by removing fat or cream from whole milk. Earlier, skim milk was used for fattening pigs. In the USA and UK, there is a colour coding system followed for skim milk.

Main Differences Between Oat Milk and Skim Milk

1. Oat Milk originated in Sweden in the year 1990s by Rickard Öste. Skim Milk originated in the United Kingdom.
2. Oat Milk has an energy of food 120 kcal or 502 kJ. Skim Milk has an energy of 1072 kJ.
3. Oat Milk is higher in fats, dietary fibres and carbohydrates. Skim Milk is higher in Proteins, Potassium and contains vitamins.
4. Oat Milk has a glycemic index of 69. Skim Milk has a glycemic index of 37.
5. Russia is the largest producer of Oat Milk. Germany is the largest producer of Oat Milk.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/jas/article-abstract/71/12/3376/4719030
2. https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200310103492933.page