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Oat milk is a plant-based, dairy-free alternative milk that is gaining popularity thanks to its health benefits, creamy texture, and delicious flavor. There are lots of options when it comes to oat milk, but they’re not all created equal. To help you make the right choice for your lifestyle, we’re digging into the details (and focusing on the facts) when it comes to the similarities and differences between JOI’s new Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder and Oatly Original Oat Milk.

As to the question of taste? Well, we think organic gluten free oat milk made with JOI speaks for itself. But hey, we all have our preferences--and we leave that one up to you. 

Contents

• What is JOI?
• Nutrition Facts
• Added Sugars
• Oils & Additives
• Allergens & Special Diets
• Shelf Life
• Packaging & Sustainability
• Cost

What is JOI?

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, it’s polite to introduce ourselves, right? At JOI, we believe everyone should experience the JOY of homemade plant milk, without the hassle. All of our minimal ingredient plant bases are made from clean, natural ingredients. They are specially designed to make truly healthy plant milk on-demand. And fit your sustainable lifestyle. 

Our Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder is the newest addition to our line-up of all-star plant bases, and the first-of-its-kind in the plant milk industry! Get instant JOI, and have total control. Just stir 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoons of JOI  (or adjust the ratio to your needs), and that's it! No need to soak the oats, none of those fussy nut milk bags required, and no mess--just fresh, homemade oat milk. 

Nutrition Facts

We said we’d stick to the facts, and what is more fact-based than the literal ‘Nutrition Facts’ label? So, here’s the side-by side of Oatly nutrition versus JOI oat nutrition. What's in a glass of Oatly, what's in a glass of JOI?

Added Sugars

Nutrition facts are great, but let’s be honest--that’s a lot of numbers with very little context. So, we want to focus on one of the most important numbers on those labels: added sugars.

Added sugars fall under the total carbohydrates category, but unlike other carbs, they are not naturally occurring. Carbs are definitely not the enemy--in fact, they’re critical to maintaining health and energy. However, according to the American Heart Association, added sugars must be consumed in moderation because they don’t contribute any actual nutrients.

JOI's oat milk powder is made with just one ingredient--organic oats. That means no added sugars and no empty calories, just natural oat milk. Oatly Original, on the other hand, includes more than ten ingredients, and uses a hydrolysis process that breaks down oats (the main ingredient) into simple sugars, which the FDA has stated do need to be recognized as added sugars.

Oils and Additives

It doesn’t take long to read JOI's Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder ingredient list: it’s just organic oats. Mix that powder with cold water, and you’ve got completely natural oat milk without preservatives. 

Pick up a carton of Oatly Original on the other hand, and you’ll see a list of more than ten ingredients. That list includes low-erucic acid rapeseed oil, more commonly recognized as canola oil, which serves as an emulsifier for the water and oats. It also includes calcium carbonate, disodium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate, all of which act as emulsifiers and provide calcium fortification. However, none are found naturally in foods.

Calcium Content

We’ve all heard plenty about the importance of calcium for strong bones and prevention of osteoporosis. Traditional cow’s milk has a long history of being marketed as a calcium-packed superfood (shout out to all the 90’s kids who remember ‘Got Milk?’ ads).

But, the truth about milk and calcium? There are plenty of dairy-free, whole-food sources beyond cow’s milk for this important mineral, including dark leafy greens like bok choy and kale, as well as beans, almonds, and edamame.

As a single ingredient product made with just organic, gluten-free oats (which are not a source of calcium), oat milk made with JOI's Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder using our standard recipe does not contain any calcium. However, a powder supplement could easily be blended in. Oatly Original does contain 350mg of calcium from additives in their formula.  

Allergens & Special Diets

Many people turn to oat milk to fit with specific diets (perhaps a plant based diet), because they're lactose intolerant, or to avoid allergens (hold the nuts, please!) Both JOI's oat milk and Oatly Original satisfy many of these needs. Both are completely vegan, dairy-free, and lactose free.

However, our oat milk powder is certified organic, while Oatly Original is not (Oatly does have an organic variant, but it’s only available outside of the United States). JOI's Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder is also gluten-free; Oatly products in the United States are gluten free, but their products in Asia and Europe are not.

Shelf Life

One of the best things about all JOI plant bases is that they allow you to make plant-based milk on your own terms--just as much as you want, when you want it. Our oat milk powder is no exception.

It has a shelf life of 9 months, and doesn’t require refrigeration (even after it’s been opened). To make fresh oat milk, simply stir a ratio of 2 tablespoons of JOI with 1 cup of water.

Once mixed, oat milk made with JOI will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Because our Instant Oat Milk Powder is made with just 100% natural, gluten-free oats, some separation is to be expected.

Oatly Original oat milk is sold fully blended and ready to drink, available for purchase online in shelf-stable 32 ounce aseptic cartons or in half gallon cartons from grocery store refrigerated sections. There is definitely a convenience factor, especially for the refrigerated half gallons, but those cartons do need to be consistently refrigerated (32 ounce aseptic cartons must be refrigerated after opening), consumed by the best-by date, and once opened should be consumed within seven days. 

Packaging & Sustainability

JOI's Instant Organic Oat Powder is packaged in pouches made from post-consumer recycled material. PCR is made from the items that consumers recycle every day, like aluminum, cardboard boxes, paper, and plastic bottles. It's extremely durable, with the same quality as regular, single-use, flexible packaging, making it a great and safe choice for protecting food. The best part is, utilizing PCR can help to reduce a brand's carbon footprint, lessen its impact on landfills, and meet its overall sustainability goals, with no requirements or actions needed on the consumer end, unlike recyclable and compostable packaging. 

Oatly Original oat milk is packaged in Tetra Pak® containers, which are made of thin, fused layers of polyethylene (plastic), aluminum, and paper. Their construction makes them lightweight and efficient for shipping, while effective at protecting food, but it also means they require special equipment to be recycled. That’s why, as of 2018, only 26% of Tetra Pak® containers worldwide were recycled. The rest? They wound up in landfills.

Cost

The food you fuel your body with isn’t something to cheap out on -- but you also can’t break the bank with your daily staples!

With JOI's Instant Organic Oat Powder, we’ve done our best to make premium ingredients and a certified organic, gluten-free product available at a reasonable price. A regular pouch of our Instant Organic Oat Powder, which will whip up 8 quarts worth of delicious oat milk, is $34.99, delivered to your door. This comes out to $4.37 per quart. 

Oatly Original is offered online in 32 ounce containers at a cost of $32 for a six-pack. Do the math, and this comes out to be pricier than JOI, at $5.33 per quart of Oatly. Half gallons of Oatly at Target retail for $4.99, or $2.50 per quart--but keep in mind, those are only available in stores, meaning there is transportation cost to consider, you’ll have to get out of your PJ’s, and you’ll have to lug it back home. Plus, they come at a higher "cost" to the environment due to the packaging waste generated and carbon emissions produced in transit from factory to store.

Summary

Oat milk is a healthy and delicious alternative to dairy milk, but it’s important to do the research to choose the right oat milk for your dietary needs and lifestyle. Hopefully this comparison has helped you to understand the differences between JOI’s all-natural, single-ingredient, sustainably packaged Instant Organic Oat Milk Powder and Oatly Original refrigerated oat milk beverage.

Ready to put JOI’s oat milk to the taste test? Check out our complete selection of plant bases to order your Instant Organic Oat Powder for home delivery today and experience natural oat milk on demand for yourself!