Why the frenzy about almond milk?

mariluny

I never liked the taste of cow milk, I just can't drink it straight. I have no issue using it in recipes, for baking or cooking.
I find almond milk tastier than soy milk (which I was never a big fan of either) so it's usually my go to "milk" when I want cereal. Since I now always have almond milk in my fridge, it's easier to use that to bake instead of having cow milk that will end up going bad before I use it all anyway.
I often use coconut milk as well. I'm a big oatmeal fan and both almond and coconut milk add a little flavor to it that I really enjoy as well as a creamier consistency than water.
Since I eat a lot of cheese and yogurt, I still get some dairy as well as calcium. I also looked up calcium sources a while back and I do eat quite a lot of them in my regular alimentation already so I don't think calcium is a problem for me. Dried figs, white beans, molasse (that I use often in my oatmeal as a sweetner), kale, almond (the real one, not the milk), etc are all high sources of calcium.

ashgirl95

My mother is lactose intolerant, so we've been buying lactose-free products for quite some time now. We started with soy milk, but once we found almond milk we both found it tastes a lot better both in recipes and just as straight milk. Plus it's not as fattening as regular dairy milk.

nopotofgold

I think for many people it is the calories.
I drink Skim but sometimes almond since my guy is lactose intolerant and when I run out I just use his till its time to go to the store.
Blue almond Unsweetened vanilla Almond Milk Is 30 cals total, 25 cals of fat, on gram of protein and fiber, and zero sugar.
Skim Milk is 80 cals total, 0 fat, 8 grams protein, zero fiber, and 11 grams sugar (Kroger brand)

I think Most people drink it to allow for more calorie intake. I take a multi-vitamin so that I hit my iron goal per day so the other nutritional facts on the container don't play a factor for my. But I think it is infused since you can get vitamin A from eating an ounce of plain almonds.

nopotofgold

My mother is lactose intolerant, so we've been buying lactose-free products for quite some time now. We started with soy milk, but once we found almond milk we both found it tastes a lot better both in recipes and just as straight milk. Plus it's not as fattening as regular dairy milk.

Thats what I don't get, Most almond milks compare to 1% milk. But most people that are doing healthy living or trying use skim. That would make the almond milk more fattening but less calories.

Dragonwolf

I love milk. If I could, I'd live on it and it alone. However, it doesn't love me so much, and with my issues with elevated insulin, the proteins in it aren't my friend (thank you, PCOS). Additionally, my son is lactose intolerant and my husband isn't a big milk drinker, so we don't really keep it around anymore and just have almond milk. I switched my son to almond milk, because state law requires "milk or milk substitute" be served in daycare centers, and I avoid soy in my family in general.

I keep cream around for myself, and we can still use butter, so that's enough for me (seriously, chocolate almond milk, plus a little cream, is dessert in a cup).

IDK but it's like watered down almond pulp. It really has no nutritional value because all the good stuff that almonds contain are filtered away when they remove the fat. There is no protein. They add calcium and other vitamins back into it. Yuck..Go non-GMO organic soy instead

Soy milk is made exactly the same way as almond (or coconut) milk -- soak meat/beans/nuts in water, rinse, add some more water, blend, filter. The longer you can blend it, the more the fats are released, and if you make it yourself, you don't have to water it down as much.

According to the nutrition facts on Silk's website, unsweetened almond milk is comparable in nutrients to unsweetened soy milk. The only major difference is the amount of protein, but that's because soy is higher in protein by nature than almonds, so the milk retains more. As for calcium, almonds are by nature fairly high in calcium, so at least part of that gets transferred to the milk. Do at least some companies fortify? Sure, but you don't have to buy them.

Personally, I use it because it isn't dairy. I'm trying to limit my diary intake, since I have PCOS. Diary isn't the best option for women with PCOS. At least not the non-organic kind.

Why would dairy be unsuitable for women with PCOS? (I'm not trying to argue against this, I'd just like to know why. I have PCOS, but apparently I'm a bit of a rara avis since I don't have metabolic syndrome/central obesity/blood sugar issues like many others with PCOS. All I get is an elevated serum testosterone level and some hirsutism, so I've never limited carbs or other foodstuffs because of my PCOS since I'm assuming nothing in my diet will affect the levels of testosterone. (I'm chubby because I eat too much, in other words. And weight goes to my hips and thighs first.) I'm also Northern European, so I've retained my ability to digest lactose after infancy. Dairy has always been a part of my diet. I've seen a lot of people advocating cutting carbs, but I can't recall seeing anything about cutting dairy.)

The proteins in dairy milk make it even more insulinogenic than most carbohydrate sources, despite it being "low-GI", and the relatively simple sugars don't help on that front, either. A large portion of women with PCOS have elevated insulin (hyperinsulinemia), so it's a good idea to avoid most dairy products if you have Type I PCOS (the one with insulin issues).

There's also some evidence of the hormones in milk (particularly conventional, and not just added ones, but the naturally occurring hormones from the cow) can screw with our own hormonal balances. For women whose endocrine system is already misbalanced, it's not generally a good idea to throw it off even more.

As for the organic vs conventional, that's due to the endocrine disruptors that could be used in a conventional farm for things like supplements, growth hormones, and even pesticides in/on the feedstock. Other than that, though, the milk itself isn't much different between the two. That said, I still limit my dairy, unless I can get my hands on raw and can see the farm the cow lives on, so I know what's going into my milk, and get the beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

I live in UK, and use coffee creamer in my tea and coffee. I did see almond milk on a supermarket shelf ones, but can't remember where. The price was ridiculously expensive, and I didn't even bother to look at it. Another man made product like soya, I suspect. I have enough issues with the amount of additives, in the few ready made products, I occasionally consume, without worrying about almond milk. Don't take me wrong, I love almonds , and at xmas time, marzipan is the icing on the cake. I just can't imagine how anyone would bother to milk nuts. Whatever next?

Almond milk, in and of itself, is no more "man made" than butter. The only reason they add things is to change the texture (to make it more like dairy milk), increase the shelf life, and keep from it needing to be shaken (it separates not unlike non-homogenized milk does, with cream at the top). You can actually make your own if you want almond milk and don't want the additives. Its expense then depends on the price of almonds in your area.

Dragonwolf

My mother is lactose intolerant, so we've been buying lactose-free products for quite some time now. We started with soy milk, but once we found almond milk we both found it tastes a lot better both in recipes and just as straight milk. Plus it's not as fattening as regular dairy milk.

Thats what I don't get, Most almond milks compare to 1% milk. But most people that are doing healthy living or trying use skim. That would make the almond milk more fattening but less calories.

Except that dietary fat, in and of itself, doesn't make you fat.

kender54

Personally, I use it because it isn't dairy. I'm trying to limit my diary intake, since I have PCOS. Diary isn't the best option for women with PCOS. At least not the non-organic kind.

Apart from the way in which the food is grown/raised, there's no difference in nutrition between organic and non-organic food. So why would someone with PCOS be able to eat organic dairy but not non-organic?

The thought behind going dairy free for PCOS is that dairy milk has hormones in it, both naturally produced by the cow and, for non-organic, added by the farmer. While the general population may not see major effects from these added hormones, women with PCOS already have elevated hormone levels and are also ultra sensitive. IGF-1 found in cow's milk is very similar to human insulin and can therefore cause more insulin issues for women with PCOS.

http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/diet-tips/pcos-diet-dairy/

I have not given up dairy, but I limit it. I choose almond milk because its lower in calories compared to dairy milk. I purchase Almond Breeze unsweetened original flavor which is 30 calories per cup as compared to regular dairy which is 8 oz per cup. If you're looking at sweetened almond milk, the calorie count would be more equal to regular milk.

Rivethead

I drink it because regular milk wrecks my stomach and agitates my GERD. It also tastes delicious and I can't tell the difference when I eat it with cereal, though, Blue Diamond tastes better than Silk, in my honest opinion. If you get any flavor other than unsweetened, it tastes like you're drinking liquid diabetes!

I don't trust that organic crap because some of my buddies work in agriculture and tell horror stories of how many corners people cut, so I just stick with the Blue Diamond.

megsmom2

We use it at our house because it is lower calorie, with lots of calcium, and it tastes good for what we use it for....cereals, smoothies. Neither of us just drinks a glass of any kind of milk (except dark chocolate almond milk now and then...because it is so darn delicious). Dairy milk also is fairly high in sugars...natural ones, yes, but my partner is diabetic, so anywhere we can keep a grip on sugar levels is a good thing. I like soy milk too, but both of us like and can use almond milk.

redversustheblue

I've been using almond milk because I hardly ever use milk and it lasts a lot longer than normal cows milk. I would never like drink it on it's own like I would a glass of milk, but I find very helpful to splash in eggs or pudding, or whatever else I might use cow milk in. I also do have cereal with it, but I would prefer cows milk. It's just that every time I buy cow milk it ends up going to waste.

dawnmcneil10

I find the unsweetened vanilla almond milk is creamier than my skim milk and much lower in sugar. This is the reason I switch back and forth. I keep a small container of almond milk at the office for coffee on those days I want the flavor/color of cream but at home I keep skim milk on hand mostly for it's protein value. Those that are telling you that almond milk is good on cereal are right, it rocks again I think because it seems creamier.

Also for baking purposes I prefer the almond milk, haven't tried making fudge with it yet though, perhaps I should. Yes, I still make desserts on occasion, it's part of finding a balance for the rest of my life.

ChefSteveUrso

I love the taste of almond milk. I also have gout to manage, but no longer need meds because I manage it with the foods I choose. I've seen at least a couple of comments saying dairy isn't acidic. That may be true when it's in the pitcher, but it is acidifying in the body. It's absolutely an acid producing food. I love whole milk, but don't drink it anymore for that reason, plus I don't want the hormones and antibiotics that find there way into the food supply. I also didn't realize that there was a frenzy over almond milk, that sounds kind of funny, but maybe there is though.

Rivethead

I find the unsweetened vanilla almond milk is creamier than my skim milk and much lower in sugar. This is the reason I switch back and forth. I keep a small container of almond milk at the office for coffee on those days I want the flavor/color of cream but at home I keep skim milk on hand mostly for it's protein value. Those that are telling you that almond milk is good on cereal are right, it rocks again I think because it seems creamier.

Also for baking purposes I prefer the almond milk, haven't tried making fudge with it yet though, perhaps I should. Yes, I still make desserts on occasion, it's part of finding a balance for the rest of my life.

It's great in fudge! You should definitely try it.

FindingAmy77

my reason for almond milk is that its only 30 calories compated to 120 in 2% regular milk. It also has the creaminess and consistency of 2%. Skim milk is way to watery for me. I am all about getting in less calories so I can eat more food

Francl27

I use it for lower calories in shakes, chai seed pudding etc. Much rather have cow milk (2%) in the other stuff.

UpEarly

Just stumbled across this: http://www.salon.com/2014/07/17/almond_milk_is_kind_of_a_scam/

BarbieAS

I like using unsweetened 30 calorie/serving almond milk for smoothies, but that's about it - I can't substitute it for milk in cereal, coffee, etc.

Yep, I've been putting it in smoothies and stuff like that because it adds a touch of creaminess and I don't care for the taste of regular milk (so I don't really eat it with cereal or just drink glasses of it), but I do use half and half in my coffee, and I wouldn't substitute that.

abatonfan

I use the unsweetened almond milk. It's 30 calories, only 1g of carbs, and is something that I can drink without worrying about injecting insulin. I can have a 16oz glass for 60 calories less than .25 units of insulin, or I can have 16oz of 1% milk for roughly 200 calories and have to inject 2 units of insulin.

fatboyliz

Unsweetened almond milk has fewer calories than skimmed milk, has a slightly thicker texture (than skimmed milk, I have no idea about semi or whole milk), and has a vague nutty taste. I prefer it because I HATE milk. I used to manage skimmed milk for cereal, but never liked the taste and am happy with almond milk

Dislike soya milk, and am looking forward to trying hazelnut milk. I guess I'm just fussy

DringusDrungus

I tried it because of the lower calories, and have kept it mostly for cereal use, when I get a strong sugar cereal craving. I like the nuttiness it adds to cereal, and also that it doesn't go bad before I can use it all like cow's milk.