Sunsational Sunflower “Milk” Hits the Dairy-Free and Vegan Market

Alisa Fleming ~ Last month, I discussed a growing phenomenon that I observe at nearly every trip to the grocery store. While there are millions of us who live strictly dairy-free, many more people consume some dairy (primarily that addictive cheese!), but are choosing milk alternatives over cow’s milk for health reasons, taste, or both. This has created insane demand for non-dairy beverages, and in return, an incredible supply. Within one year of coconut milk beverage’s debut, four brands arrived on the scene. Every market I shop at now has their own generic brand of almond milk, and now “milk” manufacturers are moving beyond nuts, giving seeds time in the spotlight.

Just a couple of months ago, I was approached about the new Sunsational Non-Dairy Sunflower Beverage. Unable to resist trialing the latest and greatest in the dairy-free world, I gladly accepted a package of each flavor, Original and Vanilla, to put to the test.

Sunsational has a relatively rich texture, with an earthy flavor that gives way to a light and fairly clean finish. As you might expect, it has a definite sunflower seed taste, which I rather enjoyed. Hemp is often too strong for my taste buds, while almond has such a distinctive flavor, that it tends to take charge of the flavor in many dishes. However, Sunsational’s flavor is one that I feel can be quite versatile, particularly if they come out with an unsweetened version. The Original (which is lightly sweetened) works wonderfully in baked goods and smoothies, but I could see an unsweetened flavor adding both body and an appropriate flavor to light sauces and “cheesy” blends …

Sunsational is not fortified, which makes it even more impressive that a single serving naturally contains 80mg of calcium, 20% of the RDA for vitamin A, 15% of the RDA for folate, and a good dose of fiber. Because it offers 3.5 grams of fat, Sunsational adds a full-bodied consistency to recipes (more like 2% milk) that is lacking in some types of milk alternatives. This product is free of gluten, soy, dairy, nuts, and all of the “big 8” allergens, but check with the company on processes should a severe allergy or intolerance be of concern for you.

Sunsational Vanilla Ingredients: Purified water, sunflower kernels, organic evaporated cane juice, potassium citrate, natural vanilla flavor, sunflower lecithin, carrageenan, natural flavor, sea salt, xanthan gum.

Chill out with these Sunsational Smoothie Recipes:

Frozen Berry Sunflower Smoothie

• 1-1/2 cups Frozen Blueberries or Strawberries
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1 cup Sunsational Non-Dairy Sunflower Beverage

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy.

Chocolate Sunflower Shake

• 1/4 cup Crushed Ice
• 1/4 cup Ice Water
• 1 Frozen Banana
• 3/4 cup Sunsational Non-Dairy Sunflower Beverage
• 1 large scoop Non-Dairy Chocolate Protein Powder (such as rice protein powder)

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy.

For more recipes and more information about Sunsational Non-Dairy Sunflower Beverage, visit www.sunsationalnondairy.com.

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org, blogger at Alisa Cooks, and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets. For more information about the product(s) reviewed, see the links within the article above.