Milk is a staple in almost everyone’s diet. From the day we are born milk offers sustenance and is an integral part of our diets. That said dairy and dairy products are a common allergen and for people looking at a more plant based diet it can be challenging to drop the dairy. Almond milk is a very common alternative and compared to cow’s milk.
They typical serving (1 cup, 250mL) of 2% cow’s milk contains 125 calories, 5g of fat (3g saturated), 12g of carbohydrates and 8g of protein. The same serving size of unsweetened almond milk contains 40 calories, 3.5g of fat (0g saturated), 2g of carbohydrates and 1g of protein.
If you are looking to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet cutting dairy is one very common way of doing this. I made the switch to almond milk a year ago and the only downside I found was some of the additives producers put in their almond milks to make them more dairy like.
- Fructooligosaccharides, a sweetener “derived” from fruits and vegetables which sounds healthier than it actually is.
- Sunflower lecithin, an emulsifier used to keep the almond and water from separating is used so you don’t need to shake before serving.
- Carrageenan, a thickening agent which is known to cause inflammation in some people.
- Natural flavour, the source of which can vary from plants to animals to “by-products”.
Thankfully almond milk is very easy to make at home allowing you to make your own, cleaner and more natural cow’s milk alternative. All you need is a blender and a sieve 
- Soak 1.25 Cups of raw, natural almonds in water (enough to cover well) for 24-48 hours.
- Drain almonds
- Add almonds to blender with 4.5 cups of filtered water
- Blend until smooth
- Strain. You might want to run it through a strainer a few times.
You can store this in the fridge for about a week but this recipe makes one (1) liter which only lasts me a few days It’s 100% vegan, free of all additives and a healthy alternative.
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