Holistic Health: The Truth About Almond Milk

The Pros

If you’re lactose intolerant, almond milk is a great non-dairy alternative. Many people prefer the taste of almond milk to soy and rice milk, which have slightly more specific flavours. Almond milk is a favourite among vegans, who are able to use it raw or in cooking and baking. Almonds are naturally packed with vitamins & minerals, which all help contribute to great skin, a healthy heart and strong muscles. They are high in magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin E, potassium and selenium, so whether you drink store-bought or home-made almond milk, you’re getting a lot of goodness. It’s also a great low-calorie option for those looking to manage their weight.

The Cons

Although a great alternative to those unable to ingest dairy, almond milk is not safe for those with tree-nut allergies. It’s also not suitable for infants: breast milk is – overall – a lot more nutritious, and even formula contains more protein than almond milk. If you’re buying it off the shelf, there are even more potential downsides to almond milk: many brands container sweeteners and additives. Some brands contain an additive called carrageenan (derived from seaweed and used to thicken the milk) which can upset those with digestive or gut issues, so look out for this on the label. Lastly, almond milk tends to be one of the most expensive non-dairy options, so you’ll need to weigh up whether or not it’s worth it for you.

How to Make Your Own Almond Milk

If you’ve weighed the pros and cons, and decided almond milk is the way to go, the best option is to make it yourself. Luckily, it’s a pretty straight-forward process.

Use 1 part soaked almonds and 3 ½ parts water.

1. Soak the almonds for one or 2 days.
2. Drain and rinse the almonds. Important: throw out the water they were soaking in! Do NOT use this same water in the milk.
3. Combine the soaked almonds and water in a blender. Blend at the highest speed for about 2 minutes.
4. Strain the almonds into a clean container using a clean stocking, pressing all the milk from the almond pulp.
5. Sweeten to taste with your choice of sweetener (blending dates into the milk is particularly delicious).
6. Keep refrigerated. Consume within 2 to 3 days.

*Handy tip: you can use the left-over almond pulp for all kinds of things: oatmeal, homemade granola, smoothies, cookie or muffin batter. You can even dehydrate it and then blend it up to make almond meal!