Figuring out whether or not you should try out a new food trend can be kind of tricky. Really popular foods sometimes can’t meet the high expectations that come along with their popularity, or they sometimes don’t actually have the benefits everyone raves about. This new one, though, just might live up to the hype. Moon milk is a new food trend that not only tastes good, but could also help you de-stress. We’ll take three, please!
Moon milk isn’t the newest non-dairy milk alternative or something you can purchase in an expensive health food store near you. It’s actually a recipe you can make on your own at home, and as the name suggests, it’s best if you mix it up shortly before bed. Moon milk is a mixture of warm milk and spices, and it’s made to relax you and help you fall asleep. When done right, it can also be quite a pretty drink.
Like so many other aesthetically pleasing trends before it, moon milk gained traction on Pinterest. According to the site, moon milk is already one of the year’s top wellness trends, as saves for it have increased over 700% since 2017.
There are lots of different moon milk recipes out there that you can try, but they all use the same basic ingredients: warm milk, spices, honey, and adaptogens. Nutritionist Chelsea Williams told Pure Wow that, “Adaptogens are basically a group of plants that you take over a long period of time in order to help your body adapt to stress and other ailments.” While there are different kinds of adaptogens out there, ashwagandha is one of the more popular options, especially for moon milk — it’s known for easing stress. Maca is another popular option.
As for spices, there are several different kinds you can use, but cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, dried lavender, and turmeric are especially popular. Cinnamon and nutmeg are calming, warming spices, while ginger helps with digestion and turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory spice. Lavender is also known for being super relaxing.
A quick search for moon milk on Pinterest or Instagram reveals a lot of very pretty pastel drinks. In order to get those colors, and probably to make the drink a little more sweet, a lot of people will use fruit or fruit juice.
So will moon milk actually help you sleep, or does it just make for a great Instagram post? Certified culinary nutritionist Neda Varbanova spoke with Hello Giggles and said, “The adaptogens in moon milk promote relaxation. Milk itself also contains tryptophan and melatonin, which are natural substances that are known for inducing sleep.” She added, “This is an ancient remedy that even I remember my grandma making for me in the evening to put me to sleep when I was a little girl.”
You can, of course, substitute cow’s milk for a non-dairy alternative like almond milk or soy milk — but keep in mind that, like Varbanova pointed out, cow’s milk has some other relaxing substances that nut milk might not have.
Even so, the calming spices added to the drink are probably enough to help you relax, get rid of your stress, and get ready for a long night of sleep. It also just seems like it tastes really good, which really, is enough for us!
