Why the frenzy about almond milk?

I love whole milk, but I use almond milk when I want a lower calorie alternative, or want to limit my dairy consumption due to my occasional digestive weirdness. Also, I think it tastes nice! And almond milk does have more calcium than cow's milk, but cow's milk has more protein. So there are positives with both

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I prefer it over milk. I just buy the original or lite varieties (not the vanilla). It is lower calories than milk--even skim, and lasts longer in the fridge. Plus I like it, so...

I have digestive trouble drinking cow's milk and never really liked it. I really like how almond milk tastes (can't stand soy).

I tried it after hearing the hype and now I LOVE it. We don't even have cows milk in our fridge anymore. I buy the unsweetened Vanilla and use it for every purpose that cows milk would normally serve. I just prefer the taste, as does my little boy, and hubby has lactose intolerance so it works well for him as well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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