Should I switch to almond milk ?

124

Replies

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,757 Member
    I love this video. :)

    (I don't know how to embed but it's Weird Al Yankovic, Word Crimes.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    This might be a fun point to inject my biased (and partly tongue in cheek) contention that language peevery, rather than being about clear communication, is primarily a class marker . . .

    . . . not upper class: Aspirational class.

    ;););)

    Yes I often think that.

    When we occasionally get the grammar police citing examples like Family visiting for tea, , Lets eat Grandma - punctuation matters!!!!!
    It should be Lets eat, Grandma

    Well, yes, it should - but what storm in a teacup nonsense, nobody reading that sentence would have any doubt what it meant, comma or no comma. :*:*


    Sorry, returning to milk debate.......

    I am sure you mean, "Let's eat, Grandma."
  • leeea2009
    leeea2009 Posts: 1 Member
    I really am getting annoyed with the whole calorie debate. As its evident that it doesn't help nutrition. Calorie is a unit of heat, not a unit that means anything.

    Like its always been about nutritional density and portion control.
    The only benefits of almond milk compared to almonds... is that it tastes better for recipes that require milk.
    There really is no comparision to dairy and nuts. Dairy is an animal based fat with saturated fats, omega 3 and electrolytes and sodium. While almond milk has polyunsaturated fats and most of the benefits of almonds... are washed off because you soak them. So unless you are sprouting them somehow. (maybe you stole some from a farmer) its not the same kind of food. Its a baking substitute.

    If you are on the lowfat grind... i mean it could help. And vegans usually need less saturated fat, that is just common sense.
    But its very important that you get a balance of all kinds of healthy ingredients. And not worry about the calories. Because if you are getting enough fiber, a PROPER amount of protein for your activity level and just down the sugar as far as possible, you really cannot physically fit enough food in your body to over eat. You can add more protein if you have an insane activity level (Not just running around at the grocery store and playing with your kids) And vegetables are usually a safe bet.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    edited December 2019
    sullus wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.

    1cup serving = 80cal

    Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose

    fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
    13g 6g 380mg No

    regular milk
    8g 12g 276mg Yes

    almond milk
    1g 7g 451mg No

    And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.

    Including the OP :smile:

    I guess @Just_tomek just really likes Milk :lol:

    I do like milk and I also like almond / cashew milk beverages :)
    My point here was that it should not be called milk. Thats all.

    But as pointed out it is called almond milk and has been for a long time. I wish people wouldn't say "impactful," but they do, the battle is lost, there's no point in tilting at windmills. Some poster around here was claiming that greek yogurt should be used only for yogurts from Greece, but that's not the case either (and will remain not the case for those of us not in the EU, anyway).

    (In truth I'm a descriptionist, not a prescriptionist anyway, but I have certain pet peeves.)

    Webster's dictionary agrees it is milk. It's not the primary, but def 1b(2) and 2 says its milk:
    milk noun

    \ ˈmilk \
    Definition of milk (Entry 1 of 4)
    1a: a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young
    b(1): milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people
    (2): a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk
    coconut milk
    soy milk
    2: a liquid resembling milk in appearance: such as
    a: the latex of a plant
    b: the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
    3: LACTATION cows in milk

    But then again these are the same people that define literally as: 2: in effect : VIRTUALLY —used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible.

    and this .. ugh:

    ir·​re·​gard·​less | \ ˌir-i-ˈgärd-ləs \
    Definition of irregardless
    nonstandard
    : REGARDLESS
    I told them that irregardless of what you read in books, they's some members of the theatrical profession that occasionally visits the place where they sleep.

    I believe this is because Webster's is reporting how people actually use our language. Eventually, any dictionary that ignores how people really speak and write is going to find itself irrelevant.

    I know. But I think that irregardless of how the dictionary defines it it's literally a crime to use those 2 words that way.
    There is so much going on in this post, so much going on.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.

    1cup serving = 80cal

    Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose

    fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
    13g 6g 380mg No

    regular milk
    8g 12g 276mg Yes

    almond milk
    1g 7g 451mg No

    And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.

    Including the OP :smile:

    I guess @Just_tomek just really likes Milk :lol:

    I do like milk and I also like almond / cashew milk beverages :)
    My point here was that it should not be called milk. Thats all.

    But as pointed out it is called almond milk and has been for a long time. I wish people wouldn't say "impactful," but they do, the battle is lost, there's no point in tilting at windmills. Some poster around here was claiming that greek yogurt should be used only for yogurts from Greece, but that's not the case either (and will remain not the case for those of us not in the EU, anyway).

    (In truth I'm a descriptionist, not a prescriptionist anyway, but I have certain pet peeves.)

    Webster's dictionary agrees it is milk. It's not the primary, but def 1b(2) and 2 says its milk:
    milk noun

    \ ˈmilk \
    Definition of milk (Entry 1 of 4)
    1a: a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young
    b(1): milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people
    (2): a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk
    coconut milk
    soy milk
    2: a liquid resembling milk in appearance: such as
    a: the latex of a plant
    b: the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
    3: LACTATION cows in milk

    But then again these are the same people that define literally as: 2: in effect : VIRTUALLY —used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible.

    and this .. ugh:

    ir·​re·​gard·​less | \ ˌir-i-ˈgärd-ləs \
    Definition of irregardless
    nonstandard
    : REGARDLESS
    I told them that irregardless of what you read in books, they's some members of the theatrical profession that occasionally visits the place where they sleep.

    I believe this is because Webster's is reporting how people actually use our language. Eventually, any dictionary that ignores how people really speak and write is going to find itself irrelevant.

    I know. But I think that irregardless of how the dictionary defines it it's literally a crime to use those 2 words that way.
    There is so much going on in this post, so much going on.

    ....I'm feeling sad for all that poor, little innocent almond milk...
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    It's a lot lower in calories. I have been meaning to get it for my oatmeal because of that but I love milk so much :s It depends what you use milk for. If it's just to eat cereal or oatmeal or things like that it's fine but I would not drink a glass of almond milk, for example.

    Lower in calories, but also lower in nutritional value.

    Need to balance within the context of overall diet. 1% milk gives a big protein bang for the calories as an example.

    It's better than none, but I wouldn't call it "big." for me the 8 grams or so isn't worth the 100+ extra calories over unsweetened almond or cashew

    Not quite sure on your math, but oh well.

    1% milk, 8g protein 100 calories

    1hv1opvojq45.png

    Unsweetened almond milk, 1gm protein 30 calories

    x1jddrrhu8q9.png


    7 more grams protein for 70 calories.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    edited December 2019
    Milk has more cals, but also more protein.

    I use this because dairy gives me all kinds of digestive issues. It's actually got more protein than dairy milk and it doesn't mess with my guts. Blends well with coffee, too...and doesn't appear to have any palm oil in it.

    y06f8vfpseis.png
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Is anyone concerned that almond milk is meant to be worse for the environment than cow's milk?
    acpgee wrote: »

    While almond growing in California is extremely water intensive and thus bad for the planet; cow's milk worse.

    From your link:

    (this isn’t to say cow’s milk, which takes about 100 litres of water to produce 100ml of milk, is more environmentally friendly...

    ***

    See also: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042

    ...Almond milk requires more water to produce than soy or oat milk. A single glass requires 74 litres (130 pints of water) - more than a typical shower. Rice milk is also comparatively thirsty, requiring 54 litres of water per glass.

    However, it's worth noting that both almond and rice milk still require less water to produce than the typical glass of dairy milk.

    The problem with this type of analysis is that almond milk is mostly produced in CA, and apparently takes a toll on honeybees, whereas cow's milk can be easily sourced locally and unlike CA, where I live has no drought problem (if anything, the opposite).

    It's also why I prefer nut milks that actually include the nuts (ideally homemade) -- although that means they are not low cal.

    But there are drawbacks with everything we eat, so I don't think it's wrong to prefer the low cal store-bought almond milk.

    As noted before I don't really use milk, other than homemade cashew milk in a smoothie. I do like other forms of dairy, like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and (more indulgently) ice cream and cheese in general.

    I was curious about the connection (my first thought was do almond trees displace other crops that honey bees rely on?) and found articles indicating that almond trees actually depend on pollinators like honey bees, but that fungicides sprayed on the trees appear to be harming the bees. This seems like a problem that the almond growers will be forced to solve (presumably by finding ways to combat fungi that are less harmful to honey bees), if they are depending on bees to pollinate their crops.

    There are other issues for bees as well - beekeepers often bring in their bees from out-of-state to pollinate almond trees. The pay is quite good, and beekeepers in the US are suffering due to the growing presence of fake honey imported from other countries pricing down the market and making it difficult for beekeepers to produce honey at a price people will pay. So the almond money is good, but many bees die en route as transporting bees from, say, Montana to California, is dangerous for them! They can die from cold, shock, or disease en route or in the fields. So, unfortunately, it's not only the pesticides that can make almonds a lose-lose deal for beekepers.

    If it's a lose-lose deal for them, they should stop doing it.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,301 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    This might be a fun point to inject my biased (and partly tongue in cheek) contention that language peevery, rather than being about clear communication, is primarily a class marker . . .

    . . . not upper class: Aspirational class.

    ;););)

    Yes I often think that.

    When we occasionally get the grammar police citing examples like Family visiting for tea, , Lets eat Grandma - punctuation matters!!!!!
    It should be Lets eat, Grandma

    Well, yes, it should - but what storm in a teacup nonsense, nobody reading that sentence would have any doubt what it meant, comma or no comma. :*:*


    Sorry, returning to milk debate.......

    I am sure you mean, "Let's eat, Grandma."


    Yes, constable. ;)
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    This might be a fun point to inject my biased (and partly tongue in cheek) contention that language peevery, rather than being about clear communication, is primarily a class marker . . .

    . . . not upper class: Aspirational class.

    ;););)

    Yes I often think that.

    When we occasionally get the grammar police citing examples like Family visiting for tea, , Lets eat Grandma - punctuation matters!!!!!
    It should be Lets eat, Grandma

    Well, yes, it should - but what storm in a teacup nonsense, nobody reading that sentence would have any doubt what it meant, comma or no comma. :*:*


    Sorry, returning to milk debate.......

    I am sure you mean, "Let's eat, Grandma."


    Yes, constable. ;)

    ...but eating Grandma is far more amusing...
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,301 Member
    Yes, agreed, I find these mis-grammars amusing too

    My favourite being the Australian one: Wombat: eats, roots, and leaves.

    ( for benifit of non Australians, root here is common slang for word starting with f)

    But I meant more the serious It really matters!!!!!! brigade.

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited December 2019
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Milk has more cals, but also more protein.

    I use this because dairy gives me all kinds of digestive issues. It's actually got more protein than dairy milk and it doesn't mess with my guts. Blends well with coffee, too...and doesn't appear to have any palm oil in it.

    y06f8vfpseis.png

    Only because it has pea protein added. Fine, but one could add pea protein to water, so it has zero to do with the discussion of almond milk. (Same with the calcium in almond milk which is just a supplement.)

    It's also 130 cals, which is more than skim or 1% milk, probably even 2%.

    Is it better for people lactose intolerant? Sure. Is it tastier? Matter of personal preference (I wouldn't be interested in drinking this but I also don't drink milk).
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Yes, agreed, I find these mis-grammars amusing too

    My favourite being the Australian one: Wombat: eats, roots, and leaves.

    ( for benifit of non Australians, root here is common slang for word starting with f)

    But I meant more the serious It really matters!!!!!! brigade.

    How else do you expect them to go forth and multiply? ;)
  • danversk97
    danversk97 Posts: 2 Member
    I didn't drink dairy for a few years, but recently had it again. While the taste and calories are the biggest factors to switching, I found myself having mostly dairy, but the one thing I still buy is plant milk. For me, there's something about the taste that I can't quite switch back to with dairy milk.
  • AriesFL
    AriesFL Posts: 810 Member
    I’m a simple man. I just drink almond milk because it is easier on my stomach. To each their own.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Milk has more cals, but also more protein.

    I use this because dairy gives me all kinds of digestive issues. It's actually got more protein than dairy milk and it doesn't mess with my guts. Blends well with coffee, too...and doesn't appear to have any palm oil in it.

    y06f8vfpseis.png

    Only because it has pea protein added. Fine, but one could add pea protein to water, so it has zero to do with the discussion of almond milk. (Same with the calcium in almond milk which is just a supplement.)

    It's also 130 cals, which is more than skim or 1% milk, probably even 2%.

    Is it better for people lactose intolerant? Sure. Is it tastier? Matter of personal preference (I wouldn't be interested in drinking this but I also don't drink milk).

    I personally appreciate the addition of pea protein, since it is a complete protein with the full range of essential amino acids. Have you ever added pea protein to water, mixed it and drank it? Have you compared it to pea protein enhanced nut milk? Probably not. Because if you had, then you'd know there's a huge difference. Plain pea protein in water tastes like *kitten*. It's basically ground split pea dust. Not very milky. Nutritious, but gross.

    As far as calories go, 2% milk has about 122 calories. This stuff has 8 calories more than that, and a few more grams of protein and a lot less sugar to show for it. The 2% dairy milk has 4 times more sugar than the nut milk. The calories in the nut milk come mainly from healthy, unsaturated fats. I don't worry too much about 130 good quality calories in my diet. And for someone who can't tolerate dairy (casein, not just lactose) I appreciate the "supplemented" calcium this stuff provides.

    Pea protein enhanced nut milk tastes like nut milk, because nut milk is the primary ingredient. Therefore, I think this particular product IS relevant to this discussion of alternative plant-based milk (almond milk). If one wants more than just pea dust mixed in water, something more like drinking milk, then this is a better option than pea water. Just sayin'... ;)
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited December 2019
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Milk has more cals, but also more protein.

    I use this because dairy gives me all kinds of digestive issues. It's actually got more protein than dairy milk and it doesn't mess with my guts. Blends well with coffee, too...and doesn't appear to have any palm oil in it.

    y06f8vfpseis.png

    Only because it has pea protein added. Fine, but one could add pea protein to water, so it has zero to do with the discussion of almond milk. (Same with the calcium in almond milk which is just a supplement.)

    It's also 130 cals, which is more than skim or 1% milk, probably even 2%.

    Is it better for people lactose intolerant? Sure. Is it tastier? Matter of personal preference (I wouldn't be interested in drinking this but I also don't drink milk).

    I personally appreciate the addition of pea protein, since it is a complete protein with the full range of essential amino acids. Have you ever added pea protein to water, mixed it and drank it? Have you compared it to pea protein enhanced nut milk? Probably not. Because if you had, then you'd know there's a huge difference. Plain pea protein in water tastes like *kitten*. It's basically ground split pea dust. Not very milky. Nutritious, but gross.

    I've used pea protein in smoothies. Adding this vs. adding just the pea protein wouldn't do anything for me.

    (I no longer use protein powder of any type, but I see nothing wrong with drinking it, whether in almond milk or not. I just want to make it clear that it's not the almond/cashew milk that has the protein, and that this product is much higher cal in that some are saying the benefit of almond/cashew milk is the low, low cals.)
    As far as calories go, 2% milk has about 122 calories. This stuff has 8 calories more than that, and a few more grams of protein and a lot less sugar to show for it.

    Sure, although I don't consider the naturally-occurring sugar in milk a negative as you seem to, and if one wants the benefits of almond or cashews this type of storebought nutmilk doesn't actually contain much of either (which is why the kind without protein powder is low cal when nuts are not).

    It really just comes down to taste, personal preferences in terms of how one gets protein, and what one is using the milk for. (I don't drink any kind of milk, as mentioned, although I do put greek yogurt and sometimes homemade cashew milk -- which is NOT low cal -- in smoothies.) I'm not arguing that skim or 1% milk is superior, just that almond milk is not inherently superior for all purposes either. I think it makes sense to drink what one likes best if one wants to drink (or otherwise use) milk of any sort.

    You apparently really enjoy the taste of this particular nut milk product, so this is a nice option for you. OP might enjoy it too, but in that she seemed excited about the lower cals, I do think it's worth noting that the extra protein (10 g) comes with about 90 more cals too.
  • kperk91
    kperk91 Posts: 226 Member
    My fiancé and I buy unsweetened vanilla almond milk. He likes the taste and it's an easy replacement in recipes that require milk (or I'll get unsweetened regular soy for certain recipes). The vanilla is subtle.
    I became lactose intolerant at 21 to milk. So unless I feel like running to a restroom - no milk.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    Yes, agreed, I find these mis-grammars amusing too

    My favourite being the Australian one: Wombat: eats, roots, and leaves.

    ( for benifit of non Australians, root here is common slang for word starting with f)

    But I meant more the serious It really matters!!!!!! brigade.

    There's an actual book published in the U.S. titled "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" with a drawing of a panda on the cover with a gun (presumably "shooting" after eating and before leaving).
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Milk has more cals, but also more protein.

    I use this because dairy gives me all kinds of digestive issues. It's actually got more protein than dairy milk and it doesn't mess with my guts. Blends well with coffee, too...and doesn't appear to have any palm oil in it.

    y06f8vfpseis.png

    Only because it has pea protein added. Fine, but one could add pea protein to water, so it has zero to do with the discussion of almond milk. (Same with the calcium in almond milk which is just a supplement.)

    It's also 130 cals, which is more than skim or 1% milk, probably even 2%.

    Is it better for people lactose intolerant? Sure. Is it tastier? Matter of personal preference (I wouldn't be interested in drinking this but I also don't drink milk).

    I personally appreciate the addition of pea protein, since it is a complete protein with the full range of essential amino acids. Have you ever added pea protein to water, mixed it and drank it? Have you compared it to pea protein enhanced nut milk? Probably not. Because if you had, then you'd know there's a huge difference. Plain pea protein in water tastes like *kitten*. It's basically ground split pea dust. Not very milky. Nutritious, but gross.

    I've used pea protein in smoothies. Adding this vs. adding just the pea protein wouldn't do anything for me.

    (I no longer use protein powder of any type, but I see nothing wrong with drinking it, whether in almond milk or not. I just want to make it clear that it's not the almond/cashew milk that has the protein, and that this product is much higher cal in that some are saying the benefit of almond/cashew milk is the low, low cals.)
    As far as calories go, 2% milk has about 122 calories. This stuff has 8 calories more than that, and a few more grams of protein and a lot less sugar to show for it.

    Sure, although I don't consider the naturally-occurring sugar in milk a negative as you seem to, and if one wants the benefits of almond or cashews this type of storebought nutmilk doesn't actually contain much of either (which is why the kind without protein powder is low cal when nuts are not).

    It really just comes down to taste, personal preferences in terms of how one gets protein, and what one is using the milk for. (I don't drink any kind of milk, as mentioned, although I do put greek yogurt and sometimes homemade cashew milk -- which is NOT low cal -- in smoothies.) I'm not arguing that skim or 1% milk is superior, just that almond milk is not inherently superior for all purposes either. I think it makes sense to drink what one likes best if one wants to drink (or otherwise use) milk of any sort.

    You apparently really enjoy the taste of this particular nut milk product, so this is a nice option for you. OP might enjoy it too, but in that she seemed excited about the lower cals, I do think it's worth noting that the extra protein (10 g) comes with about 90 more cals too.

    I'm an endurance runner, mountain biker and I weight train, so that extra 10 gram boost of protein is totally worth a measly 90 calories.

    But I get what you're saying. If calories are more important than nutrition, then the plain almond milk is going to win. But to me, that stuff is not as useful as pea protein enhanced version. Plain almond is milk-like for the milk drinking experience but there's not much else beneficial about it. So I agree with you there.

    👍
  • hobbeskastiel
    hobbeskastiel Posts: 221 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Its NOT milk. Please stop calling it that. Its an almond / cashew / coconut infused water. Also instead of buying try making this at home. Stupid easy.

    Actually the real name is Almond MILK. So, I think we can just keep calling it that.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,301 Member
    Yes, agreed, I find these mis-grammars amusing too

    My favourite being the Australian one: Wombat: eats, roots, and leaves.

    ( for benifit of non Australians, root here is common slang for word starting with f)

    But I meant more the serious It really matters!!!!!! brigade.

    There's an actual book published in the U.S. titled "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" with a drawing of a panda on the cover with a gun (presumably "shooting" after eating and before leaving).

    Yes, I know - that panda one is the original saying.

    some clever Aussie then mutated it into our wombat one.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Its NOT milk. Please stop calling it that. Its an almond / cashew / coconut infused water. Also instead of buying try making this at home. Stupid easy.

    Actually the real name is Almond MILK. So, I think we can just keep calling it that.

    It works as milk for culinary purposes and has been used as such since at least the 13th century in multiple cultures, so I would have thought people would be used to it by now . . .
  • s_rivera_92
    s_rivera_92 Posts: 92 Member
    I'm sure it's already been mentioned several times already, but almond milk supposedly has more calcium than cow's milk.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Only when supplemented, so depends on the brand. Which is still fine if you need the calcium, but I never get why this is supposed to be different from taking a calcium supplement.