Almond milk?

JS70 · November 2011

I see so many people on here drinking almond milk. Do they drink it because of dairy allergies or that they are vegetarians? Or because it is that much better for you than dairy? I see it doesn't have cholesterol like dairy. What are the other health benefits? Thanks for the help!

jgic2009 · November 2011

I like it because it is low calorie and delicious on cereal. I probably never would have tried it, but my boyfriend is lactose intolerant so he's all about non-dairy milk.

Samerah12 · November 2011

I think it tastes better. Plus its higher in calcium, which I always seem to be lacking.

RieBerg · November 2011

Its a good low cal substitute for mile. There is only 40 calories in a cup compared to 90 calories in skim cow's milk. It is also much richer tasting than skim milk.

NyGxo10 · November 2011

It is so much lower in calories! The unsweetened vanilla is delicious in granola.

Contrarian · November 2011

I like the taste. I still use cow's milk, but almond milk tastes more refreshing to me.

stef_3 · November 2011

I saw that a lot of people on here drink it too so I decided to try it. It tastes really good and I don't really like the taste of regular milk. I buy the vanilla almond and it is 90 cals a cup which is the same as the skim milk I was buying before. The only downfall is that it costs a little more about $2.50 a half gallon, but I'm the only one who drinks it so it lasts me a week. Everyone else drinks the cow milk in my family.

Mindful_Trent · November 2011

I was introduced to Almond milk when I was dating a vegetarian. I currently use both cow's milk and almond milk. I like how almond milk tastes and sometimes use it just for the variety. I only use the unsweetened, original almond milk. I'm not concerned about cholesterold, but when I want to cut some calories out of a meal, sometimes I'll use almond milk instead of cow's milk. There are also times when eating dairy isn't a good idea (certain illnesses, for example). Additionally, I find that if I do eat too much dairy my system can get a little cranky, so I'll try to substitute almond milk for cow's milk sometimes and save my dairy "allowance" for stuff like cheese (yum!).

Edited to add - almond milk also appeals to me because I don't have to worry about how were the cows treated, are there growth hormones involved. etc. I'd love to actually start making my own almond milk. It's not difficult and then I know exactly what is in it and can avoid any unnecessary additives.

felicityksr · November 2011

I like the unsweetened almond milk in cereal, smoothies, etc. It is only 40 calories per cup!

kristelpoole · November 2011

The almond milk I buy is 35 cals/cup and it tastes better IMO. Plus, it just makes more sense to me on an intrinsic, biological level and I don't have to think twice about growth hormones, etc. I use it in everything I would normally cook with milk too.

Artemis_Acorn · November 2011

I had the same question, so this week I bought some, which I have been using in my protein shakes. I like the shakes with something milkier than water as a base, but I was frustrated that the calories in the 1% milk I drink would always put me over the target calories for the meal. And with the protein powder, I was getting sufficient protein without the extra in the milk, so the Almond Milk is a perfect alternative. I like it so far - it does have more calcium than milk, which is good, and it gives the shake that extra milkiness I like.

For me, it is just another way to bring variety and interest into the diet.

sandy2006 · November 2011

Im not vegetarian but I have never wanted to drink a cows milk. I love it because its low in calories and great for shakes!

CannibalisticVegetarian · November 2011

Regular milk and 2% tend to hurt my stomach whenever I have a glass. There's lactaid milk which is awesome, but it costs a lot of money, and people in my home tend to drink it all up even though they can clearly drink the regular stuff. I choose almond milk because it tastes better in my shakes and smoothies but doesn't cause tummy aching.. it's a bit cheaper to me, and I don't have to worry about people greedily going through it because everyone else finds it disgusting. It's hella delicious if'n ya ask me...OH! Also it's got lower calories than the regular moo-juice.

sufikitkat · November 2011

I drink it due to a dairy allergy..full blown allergy. But I have really found to love the taste and texture much better than regular milk. Especially Dark Chocolate yum!

misscase · November 2011

I only eat milk on cereal and I really like the taste of the unsweetened vanilla almond milk on cereal.

Wynterbourne · November 2011

I switched to it *only* because it's lower calories. No health or moral issues, strictly a calorie thing.

Ral263 · November 2011

I'm lactose intolerant, so I have always drank soymilk....but now that I'm learning more about the dangers of soy (on top of the fact that my doctor told me to stop drinking/eating it), it makes more sense to go Almond.

The only time I use it is in my coffee, and it's only 35 cals a cup, which is awesome. It's rich tasting, and doesn't have that artificial flavor that a lot of soy milks do. I love that it still has a good amount of calcium, too.

Only drawback for me is that it doesn't have much protein, but I already get enough as it is, so it's not a huge deal.

JS70 · November 2011

Thanks so much for all of the information everyone!

rosebarnalice · November 2011

I took a biological perspective:

I'm a mammal that was designed to drink the extract from its own kind until it can eat solid food and start fending for itself.

And . . . ummm . . . to my knowledge, there is not another mammal that is past the age of nursing that is designed to continue stealing milk from other species as a primary source of nutrition.

Cow tit ooze. . .. Yeah. I wan to drink that.

satira25 · November 2011

I read yesturday that if you have to choose between skim milk or almond milk, they say to go with the skim as it is better for you.

Tyler4846 · November 2011

The almond milk is too nutty for me, it is good though just not all the time for me,
I like the rice milk, and will stock up on it whenever I see it on sale.

I can't drink normal milk because the end result is me staying home for the next 24 hours.

Mindful_Trent · November 2011

I read yesturday that if you have to choose between skim milk or almond milk, they say to go with the skim as it is better for you.

I drink both - I'm curious, though, as to what the source of this is and what the basis was for determining which is "better".

Almond milk is basically just almonds soaked in water, ground up, and then the water is separated from the almond "pulp". Commercial almond milk will of course have additives, but some of the brands aren't too bad. It's lower calorie - which sometimes is good and sometimes doesn't really matter.

Skim cow's milk has more protein than almond milk, of course - but many people are lactose intolerant and you also have to worry about growth hormones and stuff like that. It's also higher calories, which doesn't always matter, but is something to consider.

daffodilsoup · November 2011

The American dairy industry is pretty horrifying, so now I drink almond milk mostly because of the suffering involved in a glass of dairy milk. But, I started drinking almond milk before I developed any real moral stance on the dairy industry. It's delicious and low in calories/sugars (if you get the unsweetened kind), and that's what drew me to it originally.

Alexdur85 · November 2011

I just started using almond milk. It's a good fat and low in calories! Perfect to lower my hot coco in the morning.

Also I think only animal products have cholesterol.

Alexdur85 · November 2011

I read yesturday that if you have to choose between skim milk or almond milk, they say to go with the skim as it is better for you.

I drink both - I'm curious, though, as to what the source of this is and what the basis was for determining which is "better".

Almond milk is basically just almonds soaked in water, ground up, and then the water is separated from the almond "pulp". Commercial almond milk will of course have additives, but some of the brands aren't too bad. It's lower calorie - which sometimes is good and sometimes doesn't really matter.

Skim cow's milk has more protein than almond milk, of course - but many people are lactose intolerant and you also have to worry about growth hormones and stuff like that. It's also higher calories, which doesn't always matter, but is something to consider.

I haven't compared but I would assume the almond milk has a higher fat content and of course you know the truth is "Fat makes you fat".. The casein protein is ridiculous and has actually been linked up the symptoms of autism. But then again, something always causes something else.

SimpleStepsHealthCoach · November 2011

I absolutely love almond milk, but I don't love all the different brands of it. I've learned that almond milk can taste different from brand to brand. There are also different types of flavors of almond milk so it the original, non-sweetened version is too much for you, try a different flavor. My current buy is 365 Organic Almond Milk (Unsweetened). Love it on granola.

Give it a go and let us know how you made out with it.

Cheers,
y.

jdavis193 · November 2011

I buy the original almond milk. I can't find vanilla unsweetened. I tried the unsweetened orginal it's not very good. The original as 7g of sugar in it. It taste really good in oatmeal. I don't like it by itself.

kmbrooks15 · November 2011

So, I have a question. I've found almond milk just on the shelf, unrefrigerated. Then there is some in the dairy case that says it has to stay refrigerated. Anybody know the difference? I would think the unrefrigerated stuff might have more preservatives, maybe?

I've been buying the refrigerated. I buy the unsweetened vanilla and the sweetened vanilla. I like the sweetened better, but I also keep the unsweetened on hand in case I need the lower calorie version. Sometimes I need the sweetened because I need the additional calories. Having both on hand gives me some flexibility, and since the almond milk doesn't spoil as fast as regular milk, I can keep both on hand.

I was just curious about why some has to be refrigerated and some doesn't.

Wynterbourne · November 2011

So, I have a question. I've found almond milk just on the shelf, unrefrigerated. Then there is some in the dairy case that says it has to stay refrigerated. Anybody know the difference? I would think the unrefrigerated stuff might have more preservatives, maybe?

I've been buying the refrigerated. I buy the unsweetened vanilla and the sweetened vanilla. I like the sweetened better, but I also keep the unsweetened on hand in case I need the lower calorie version. Sometimes I need the sweetened because I need the additional calories. Having both on hand gives me some flexibility, and since the almond milk doesn't spoil as fast as regular milk, I can keep both on hand.

I was just curious about why some has to be refrigerated and some doesn't.

I can't answer all your questions, but I have both the shelf stable and the refrigerated original unsweetened Almond Breeze brand in my house and I can tell you the ingredient list is identical. The shelf stable one still has to be refrigerated, but not until after it has been opened. There is a slight nutritional difference though. The shelf stable version has 3.5g fat versus 3 for the refrigerated. Shelf stable has 30% calcium, 4% iron and 2% phosphorus compared to the refrigerated's 45% calcium, 2% iron and 4% phosphorus.

That's all I can tell you.

MrsJax11 · November 2011

We use it in smoothies when we want a low cal snack...and it is higher in calcium, and lower in sugars.
I have both Silk almond milk and 1% cow's milk in my fridge. They have the same amount of fat; however, the Almond milk lacks potassium....and a lot of the protein. It also has a lot less calories. If I have the choice I go for the completely unsweetened Silk...even lower in calories.
But I think that milk and almond milk are both delicious

Alexdur85 · November 2011

So, I have a question. I've found almond milk just on the shelf, unrefrigerated. Then there is some in the dairy case that says it has to stay refrigerated. Anybody know the difference? I would think the unrefrigerated stuff might have more preservatives, maybe?

I've been buying the refrigerated. I buy the unsweetened vanilla and the sweetened vanilla. I like the sweetened better, but I also keep the unsweetened on hand in case I need the lower calorie version. Sometimes I need the sweetened because I need the additional calories. Having both on hand gives me some flexibility, and since the almond milk doesn't spoil as fast as regular milk, I can keep both on hand.

I was just curious about why some has to be refrigerated and some doesn't.

This link is for actual milk but I would imagine it not be much different.

http://www.diversifiedfoods.com/ShelfStableMilk.htm

Almond milk?

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