Content
Birdseed milk is a vegetable drink prepared with water and a seed, the birdseed, being considered a substitute for cow's milk. This seed is a cheap cereal used to feed parakeets and other birds, and can be purchased at health food stores and supermarkets, in the form of bird seed for human consumption.
This milk of vegetable origin, can be used in the preparation of shakes with fruits, pancakes or even to drink hot with cinnamon. It is also indicated for the preparation of shakes in diets to gain muscle mass, due to its large amount of proteins, whose content is higher than that of other vegetable milks, with the exception of soy milk.
What is it for
The consumption of birdseed milk provides several health benefits, such as:
- Reduces blood pressure, as it has an anti-inflammatory effect and contains antioxidants, mainly prolamines;
- It favors the increase of muscle mass, due to its high concentration in proteins;
- It reduces cholesterol, because it is rich in antioxidants and linoleic acid, which interact in the metabolism of fats;
- It could help prevent anxiety and depression, as it is rich in tryptophan, an essential compound in the formation of serotonin, known as the "pleasure hormone";
- It is able to be consumed by vegetarians and vegans, as it is a vegetable drink, providing proteins and vitamins of the B complex;
- Helps regulate sugar, being an excellent alternative for diabetics;
- It promotes weight loss, as it is low in calories and contains enzymes that stimulate the burning of body fat, as long as it is included in a healthy diet;
- It improves memory and learning, as it contains glutamic acid, an amino acid found in abundance in the brain. Some scientific studies prove that changes in the metabolism of this amino acid and in the regulation of the brain can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
In addition, birdseed seed enzymes also improve the function of the pancreas, relieving poor digestion and bloated abdomen.
In addition, the birdseed also contains no gluten or lactose, so it can be used by people with celiac disease, allergic to cow's milk proteins and lactose intolerant. Birdseed milk should not be consumed by people with phenylketonuria, as it contains high levels of phenylalanine, an amino acid that causes toxicity in these people.
Nutritional information of bird's milk
| Birdseed seed (5 tablespoons) | Birdseed milk (200 ml) |
Calories | 348 kcal | 90 Kcal |
Carbohydrates | 12 g | 14.2 g |
Proteins | 15.6 g | 2.3 g |
Total fat | 29.2 g | 2 g |
Saturated fat | 5.6 g | 0.24 g |
Trans fat | 0 g | 0 g |
Fibers | 2.8 g | 0.78 g |
Sodium | 0 mg | 0.1 g * |
*Salt.
Birdseed milk should not be consumed by people with phenylketonuria due to the high content of the amino acid phenylalanine.
How to prepare birdseed milk at home
You can find birdseed milk for human consumption in powder or ready-to-drink form, in stores specializing in natural products, but its recipe is very easy to make at home. Its flavor is light and very similar to cereal drinks, such as oat milk and rice, for example.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of water;
- 5 tablespoons of birdseed.
Preparation mode
After washing the seeds thoroughly in a sieve under running water, it is important to soak the seeds and water overnight in a glass container. Finally, grind in a blender and strain with a very fine strainer or curtain-like fabric.
In addition to exchanging cow's milk for bird's milk, check out other healthy exchanges that can be adopted in this quick and fun video with nutritionist Tatiana Zanin: