Almond milk is made from blanched almonds and water. Almond milk is chosen not only for its taste, but also for its nutritional value and calories, of which it provides little. What are the he alth benefits of almond milk? What is its use in the kitchen? Can almond milk be cooked? Where can you buy them and what is the price?

Almond milkis the most-bought of all plant-based drinks. Its popularity began to increase in 2000, when soybeans, until then the main source of plant-based alternatives for dairy and meat, became infamous and the public began to hear about its possible negative he alth effects.

Interestingly,almond milkis not the discovery of the modern world. It was known in the late Middle Ages and was used in place of cow's milk during fasting periods, when eating meat was forbidden, but also eggs and dairy products due to the presence of fat. Almond milk was not available to everyone, but only to the upper classes due to its price.

Almond milk was a popular ingredient in the richest dishes, as evidenced by the fact that in the fourteenth-century cookbook there were as many as 1/4 of the recipes. They were also valued because they spoiled much slower than cow's milk.

Butter was once made of almond milk. It is worth noting that almond milk can be fermented with special strains of yoghurt bacteria or kefir mushrooms. So it is suitable for the production of vegan yoghurts, kefirs and other fermented products.

Worth knowing

Almond milk is not milk, but almond drink

Almond milk is not actually milk, but a drink made from almonds and water. Due to the fact that they are used as a substitute for cow's milk in recipes or for coffee, the name "almond milk" has been adopted. This drink is 100% plant-based.

It has a whitish color and a slightly sweet flavor with nutty notes. It is used by vegans, vegetarians, people on a dairy-free diet and those suffering from lactose (milk sugar) intolerance. In addition, drinking plant-based milk instead of cow's milk is simply fashionable and up to date.

Almond milk - nutritional values, calories

The nutritional value of almond milkdepends on the quantity and quality of almonds used in its production and on the amount of additives - sugar, vitamins and minerals. We will consider unsweetened and fortified almond milk, as it is the most nutritious.

Almond milk is very low in calories. It provides 24 kcal in 100 ml, and about 60 kcal in a glass. It contains little protein (0.5 g / 100 g), fat (1.1 g / 100 g - less than 1.5% milk) and very little carbohydrates - only 1.4 g of digestible sugars and 1.6 g of fiber. Almond milk does not contain lactose, i.e. milk sugar. It is a source of vitamin D, E, as well as B2 and B12. Fortified drinks provide an additional portion of calcium.

Importantly, almond milk contains very little phosphorus (10 mg / 100 g), which allows calcium to be absorbed without hindrance. An imbalance in the intake of calcium and phosphorus leaches calcium from the bones to balance the levels of these elements in the blood. Almond milk contains phytic acid which makes it difficult to absorb some minerals, mainly zinc, magnesium and iron.

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Worth knowing

Almond milk - nutritional value (in 100 g)Energy value - 24 kcal Total protein - 0.5 g Fat - 1.1 g Carbohydrates - 3.0 g (including simple sugars 1.4 g) Fiber - 1.6 gVitaminsVitamin D - 60 IU (15% RDA) Vitamin B2 - 0.3 mg (15% RDA) Vitamin E - 3 mg (15% RDA) Vitamin B12 - 0.9 μg (15% RDA)MineralsCalcium - 100 mg (10% RDA)Phosphorus - 10 mg (1% RDA) Potassium - 80 mg (1.5% RDA) Sodium - 0 , 1 mg (0% RDA)calcium is added in the production process and its amounts vary in milk from different producers

Almond milk - is it he althy?

The he alth effects of almond milk have not been thoroughly studied in large scientific studies. It is often credited with the properties of whole almonds as being very nutritious, but this is not correct practice. The nutritional value and content of bioactive compounds in almonds and almond milk are completely different. Almond milk is a much less concentrated source of vitamins and other valuable ingredients.

This is because almond milk is a processed product and diluted with water. They are usually made from peeled blanched almonds, which means that less goes into the drinkantioxidants.

Moreover, there is practically no he althy fiber in milk. In almond milk, the nutrients of the almonds are diluted in a large volume. Even though the drink is not as valuable for your he alth as whole almonds, it can be beneficial for your body.

Advantages of unsweetened almond milk:

  • is low in calories and has a fairly high nutritional density
  • does not contribute to weight gain
  • has no negative effect on carbohydrate metabolism - spikes in blood sugar and insulin bursts
  • enriched with calcium has a positive effect on bone he alth and prevents osteoporosis; may be a more valuable source of calcium than dairy products, because, unlike dairy products, it contains very little phosphorus that interferes with the absorption of calcium into the bones
  • is a valuable source of vitamin D, so it can have a positive effect on immunity, the functioning of the nervous system and well-being
  • provides vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant

Almond milk and cow's milk - comparison

Comparison of the nutritional value of a glass (250 ml) of almond milk and 2% cow's milk

Unsweetened almond milk2% cow's milk
60 kcal122 kcal
2.7 g fat5 g fat
1 g protein8 g protein
1.4 g of naturally occurring sugars12 g of naturally occurring sugars
200 mg calcium250 mg calcium
Important

Almond milk - contraindications

Almonds are among the common allergens, so almond drink should be avoided by people prone to allergies, especially those with a known allergy to almonds and other nuts.

Due to the presence of oxalates in almond milk, regular and frequent drinking may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. However, when using a varied diet, such a problem should not arise. People who already have kidney stones should exercise particular caution.

It may be obvious to many people, but it is worth mentioning that almond milk cannot be a substitute for breast milk or milk substitutes for newborns and infants.

Almond milk - how to buy it of good quality?

Almond milk is now readily available in physical stores. You can buy them in hypermarkets, food discount stores, and even in the largest drugstore chain in Poland. A liter of almond drink costs about PLN 10. Almond milks are produced in several flavors:unsweetened, sweetened, vanilla and chocolate.

Many producers strive to achieve a consistency and taste similar to cow's milk, hence it is very difficult to find almond milk with a pure composition, without unnecessary additives. In beverages available in Polish stores, the content of almonds ranges from 2 to 8%.

The substances added to almond milk are mainly sugar. Rarely, it is ordinary white beet sugar, but it does not really matter whether you get sucrose from beet sugar, cane sugar or agave syrup.

The metabolic and he alth effects are just as negative. Almond drinks are sweetened with cane sugar, agave syrup or corn syrup, usually with an indication of the organic origin. However, let's not get manipulated. Sugar is sugar.

Another group of additives are thickeners: tapioca starch, rice starch and more foreign-sounding corn m altodextrin. These substances are digested just like sugar. Other types of thickeners and stabilizers in almond milk are polysaccharides belonging to the water-soluble fiber fraction.

These include: locust bean gum, gellan gum and the controversial carrageenan. They are not harmful to he alth, but from the consumer's point of view their addition is unnecessary. As for carrageenan, the latest surveys from 2022 do not confirm its harmfulness.

Usually, almond milk contains natural aromas, sometimes s alt, and in drinks with the worst composition - sunflower lecithin acting as an emulsifier. Some producers enrich their products with calcium and fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D) and vitamin B12.

There is no almond milk without additives on the market. When buying a drink, you need to pay attention to the composition - the shorter the better. The almond content is important. The minimum is 7%. There should be almonds and water in the almond milk.

The addition of aromas and thickeners is allowed. It is true that you do not need them, but you cannot buy almond milk without these additives in a store. Avoid a sweetened drink with a low almond content and a composition longer than 4 - 5 items.

The addition of phosphates is also undesirable. The manufacturer informs that it is an enriching ingredient, but our diet is so rich in phosphorus that it is better to limit it than to enrich products in which it is naturally absent.

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Almond milk - use in the kitchen

Almond milk can be used in exactly the same way as cow's milk:

  • add to coffee or tea
  • pour it over breakfast cereals
  • make cocktails based on it
  • use in pancake batter
  • use for baking instead of cow's milk
  • cook porridges, cereals and puddings
  • use for sauces and marinades
  • make homemade yogurt

Almond milk - can you cook it?

Almond milk is heat resistant. They can be cooked and used in baking.

Read also:

Check how much milk your baby needs daily

Homemade almond milk

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of unpeeled almonds
  • 4 cups of water

Preparation:

Pour plenty of cold water over the almonds and soak for 12 hours. As a result, they soften, easier to blend and become more digestible for the body. Drain the soaked almonds. Transfer to a blender vessel, pour 4 glasses of cold water and mix thoroughly into a paste. Strain the mass through a gauze-lined strainer above the bowl. Wrap the gauze and squeeze its contents thoroughly. If necessary, dilute with water.

Sources:

1. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/almond-milk-obsession-origins-middle-ages 2. https://czytajsklad.com/mleko-migdalowe/ 3. https://www.kwestiasmaku.com/drinki /drinki_bezalkoholowe/mleko_migdalowe/przepis.html 4. David. S. et al., Revisiting the carrageenan controversy: do we really understand the digestive fate and safety of carrageenan in our foods ?, Food & Function, 2022, 9 (3), 1344-1352 5. https: //nutritiondata.self .com / facts / custom / 2775748/2 6. https://draxe.com/almond-milk-nutrition/ 7. Stall S. et al., Can almond milk be called milk ?, Journal of Renal Nutrition, 2022, 27 (3), 15-17 8. Bernat N. et al., Probiotic fermented almond "milk" as an alternative to cow-milk yoghurt, 2015, 4, 201-211 9. https://nsembilan.uitm.edu .my / joacns / images / v2_n1 / pdf / NorAishah_2_1_1.pdf

About the authorAleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. To my main interestsit is necessary to build permanent changes in eating habits and to individually compose the diet in accordance with the needs of the body. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I believe that nutritional education is very important, both for children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.

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