What You Should Know Before Taking Another Sip Of Almond Milk
Mooooove over, milk.
There's a seriously delicious and alternativein town.
Almond milk has been gaining in popularityin recent years, but there are a few downsides
to the product that you might want to knowabout.
Hey, before you take that next sip of almondmilk, listen to this…
There's no doubt about it: Almond milk isa booming business these days.
In fact, dairy milk alternatives in generalare making some serious bank.
Obviously that's great news for all thosealmond milk brands out there...but it's very
bad news for dairy farmers.
In 2019, Dean Foods, one of America's biggestdairy companies, declared bankruptcy.
It's just one of several dairy brands that'sseen a sizable dip in sales in recent years.
The reason?
Eric Beringause, the chief executive of DeanFoods, told Market Watch,
"Despite our best efforts to make our businessmore agile and cost-efficient, we continue
to be impacted by a challenging operatingenvironment marked by continuing declines
in consumer milk consumption."
"Unfortunately there are bankruptcies happeningat the farm level and now we see a bankruptcy
at a much higher level in the supply chain."
Sales of non-dairy milks increased by morethan 60 percent between 2013 and 2018, racking
up more than $2 billion in 2017.
Needless to say, dairy farmers aren't exactlythrilled with this development.
In fact, a few of these farmers have beenlobbying the Food and Drug Administration
to stop allowing almond milk manufacturersto use the term "milk."
Even some government representatives are gettingin on the action.
For example, both Representative Peter Welchand Senator Tammy Baldwin have claimed a product
must derive from a hoofed mammal to be calledmilk.
In 2017, Welch told The New York Times,
"The bottom line for us is that milk is definedby the FDA, and we're saying to the FDA: Enforce
your definition."
Welch and Baldwin represent Vermont and Wisconsin,respectively, two states with lots of dairy
farms.
Guess what?
Almonds and almond milk aren't just delicious.
Reportedly, they're also great for your skin.
Plenty of cosmetic brands, from The Body Shopto Lush, use almond milk in their products,
because it makes for an absolutely incrediblemoisturizer.
Blended with almond oil, almond milk can reducefine lines on your face, prevent premature
wrinkles, and smooth your skin all around.
Oh, and guess what?
Products made with almond milk are reportedlygreat for people with sensitive skin.
Plus, you don't have to drop a bunch of cashon high-end products.
And, it's worth mentioning that making almondmilk masks at home is super-easy: Simply dip
a cotton ball into some almond milk and spreadit on your face.
Your skin will feel impeccably soft…andyou'll smell nice, too.
Making your own almond milk may sound likea daunting task.
After all, how does one go about milking analmond, exactly?
Well, here's some very good news for you:You don't have to milk almonds at all.
That's, uh, not how it works.
Almond milk is made by soaking almonds inwater for a long time: We're talking 8 to
12 hours here.
According to The Kitchn,
"The longer the almonds soak, the creamierthe almond milk."
"Raw almonds, too.
Wanna point that out."
"Raw and, raw organic, if we're really goingto go there."
Your almonds should be quite plump after they'vebeen soaked.
Next, drain and rinse the almonds and putthem in a blender along with a small amount
of room-temperature water.
Blend for about two minutes and then strainthe contents using a towel or cheesecloth.
Congratulations…you've just made almondmilk!
And guess what?
When you make your own almond milk, you getto use whatever flavor enhancements you want,
because that light almond flavor is basicallya blank canvas.
We suggest adding vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmegfor a warm cozy taste.
If you want to get super-fancy and we're quitesure you do add in some matcha or even lavender.
That ensures a highly flavorful and aromaticalmond milk.
Enjoy!
Almond milk vs. just almonds
If you've been drinking almond milk for itsnutritional benefits, you might be better
off simply eating a handful of crunchy almonds.
In just a single, one-ounce serving of almonds,you'll consume six grams of protein, four
grams of fiber, and plenty of vitamins, includingvitamin E, magnesium, riboflavin, calcium,
and potassium.
The almonds in almond milk are seriously diluted,so they just don't deliver the same benefits.
A one-cup serving of almond milk has about30 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and just one
gram of protein.
Dietitian Emily Holdorf, RDN told Mashed:
"While almonds in their whole form are packedwith protein, almond milk on the other hand
only has one gram per cup.
This is because almond milk is strained, causinga lot of the protein to be lost.
If you are drinking almond milk as your main'milk product' be sure to get enough protein
from other foods in your diet."
So now you know.
Almond milk isn't for everyone.
When it comes to feeding infants, almond milkreally isn't the way to go, at least according
to Dr. Julie Lemale.
Her 2014 study concluded that infants whodrink almond milk develop nutritional deficiencies
and growth problems.
"For children under two years of age, almondmilk isn't a suitable replacement for cow's
milk or formula."
If your child happens to be allergic to milkor lactose intolerant, consult your pediatrician
for help finding an appropriate formula.
Almond milk doesn't contain a particularlyhigh amount of protein and calcium nor does
it have as many vitamins and minerals as regularmilk.
Obviously, that can be a problem since growingchildren need calcium to strengthen their
bones.
That's not to say children older than twocan't have almond milk; it just needs to be
consumed alongside other food and beveragesthat provide all the essential nutrients.
Basically, it's all about moderation.
The ketogenic diet has become increasinglypopular in recent years.
This extremely low-carb diet forces the bodyto burn fat by sending itself into ketosis.
The keto diet doesn't allow for high amountsof sugar and carbohydrates, typically relying
on full-fat foods instead.
Well, as it turns out, almond milk is quiteketo friendly as long as you're avoiding brands
that add a lot of sugar to the mix.
"If it's sweetened, that means all the sugarin it is added sugar.
It's not naturally occuring sugars."
Unsweetened almond milk is relatively lowin carbs, at least in comparison to whole
milk and other non-dairy alternatives.
In fact, it has only 2-3 net carbs in a serving,making it entirely appropriate to consume
when you're on the keto diet.
Having one or two servings of almond milka day won't break the carb bank, and if you're
an active person, or happen to be practicingthe Targeted Keto Diet, you can consume even
more if you'd like.
Eighty percent of the earth's almonds aregrown in California including 100 percent
of the commercial supply in America.
And now that people are eating more nuts thanever, the crop has become the backbone of
California's agriculture.
Almond orchards take up over one million acresin the state, and those trees produced 2.26
billion pounds of almonds in 2018.
Almond growing is a $5.6 billion industry,and no wonder California is on top of it.
Daniel Sumner, an economist at the Universityof California, Davis, told Bloomberg,
"California is the best place to grow [almonds].
Where else can the weather be hot and dryand perfect, but you also have a system where
you can bring water from mountains full ofsnow?”
As you may know, it takes a lot of water togrow almonds, and we mean a lot.
It takes 1.1 gallons of water to grow a singlealmond.
Now think of all the millions and billionsof almonds grown each season, and you can
probably start to see the issue here.
Needless to say, it takes plenty of almondsto make a single carton of almond milk.
In order to grow almonds and meet ever-increasingdemands, California farmers have been drilling
wells at an alarming rate.
California has long been at risk of becominga desert, and the constant over-drilling has
contributed to the decline of usable soil.
Meanwhile, California just went through along drought, and many areas are still suffering.
"We're in a drought.
Let's face it.
But for California, this is just the beginning."
As Mother Jones reports, the almond industryuses more water in California than the entire
cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined.
Fortunately, there are measures being takento address the problem.
As Almonds.com reports,
"By 2025, the California almond communitycommits to [reducing] the amount of water
[it takes] to grow a pound of almonds by anadditional 20 percent."
In February 2020, Mic reported that,
"Almond milk, the ever-popular soy-free, dairy-free,vegan-friendly milk substitute now found everywhere
from hip restaurants to Starbucks coffee shops,is ruining the world."
That may be rather overstating it, but almondand almond milk production certainly has its
fair share of issues.
According to The UCSF's Office of Sustainability,
"The main issues associated with almond milkproduction are water use and pesticide use,
which may produce long lasting effects onthe environment in...California, where more
than 80% of the world's almonds are grown."
The use of these pesticides is problematicfor a number of reasons.
As The UCSF's Office of Sustainability reports,
"The USDA Pesticide Data Program has foundresidues of nine different pesticides on almonds,
five of which are toxic to honey bees, posingyet another threat to the environment."
Just something to think about before pouringyourself that next ice-cold glass of almond
milk.
Soy milk used to rule the roost when it cameto the alternative milk industry, but nowadays,
almond milk is king.
Larry Finkel, the director of food and beverageresearch at Marketresearch.com, told Bloomberg,
"Nuts are trendy now.
Soy sounds more like old-fashioned healthfood, like tofu, and could probably benefit
by a re-invigoration of their brand."
According to data compiled by CNBC, almondmilk sales reached $1.3 billion in 2019.
Soy milk was the second most popular non-dairymilk option…but it was still way behind
almond milk, only making $194 million duringthe same time period.
"Welcome to the popular table.
Or not."
Obviously lots of people love the stuff somenutritionists included.
Jennifer Bowers, PhD, RD, told Mashed,
"I recommend it often, especially with patientswho have diabetes or kidney disease.
High quality almond milk provides a calciumboost, healthy fats but less carbs than it's
cow's milk alternative.
And, I think it tastes great!"
Some folks don't consider almond milk a propersubstitute for cow's milk because, as we mentioned,
it's rather lacking in the protein and calciumdepartment.
Registered dietitian Lisa Cohn tells Mashed,
"Some people [aren't] aware of the nutritionaldifferences, which can be especially problematic
for women and breastfeeding women [as faras their] calcium, vitamin D, B vitamin and
protein needs [are concerned].
The calories from almond milk can also createweight gain."
But there's no reason to fear almond milk,you should just make sure you're getting enough
protein and calcium from other sources.
Registered dietitian nutritionist ValerieAgyeman tells Mashed,
"Almond milk isn't as bad as people make itseem, it is actually very nutritious.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't as nutritiousas cow's milk, but enriched almond milk comes
pretty close to hitting the nutritional contentof cow milk."
Our advice?
Check your labels and buy almond milk that'senriched with added nutrients.
Here's a fact that some of you might findnot-so sweet: There are several almond milk
brands out there that are packed with sugar.
That's why we strongly recommend that youchoose your specific brand with the utmost
care.
As Valerie Agyeman told Mashed,
"Manufacturers usually add a lot of sugar[to almond milk] to make it taste sweet.
Make sure to look at the...label for the sugarcontent or you can purchase sugar-free almond
milk."
Obviously if you're drinking almond milk forhealth reasons, that added sugar won't be
doing you any favors.
A word to the wise: Some almond milk brandscontain carrageenan, a common thickening agent
made from seaweed.
Sure, it helps give almond milk its creamytexture, but at what cost?
According to a review in Environmental HealthPerspectives, studies have linked consuming
carrageenan with increased inflammation.
Nutritionist and healthy living expert ValérieOrsoni tells Mashed,
"Although it is derived from seaweed, whichsounds pretty healthy, studies have [suggested
otherwise].
Research on the effects of this additive isnot at all conclusive, but based on studies
thus far, I highly recommend avoiding almondmilk that contains carrageenan."
Any questions?
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
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Mooooove over, milk. There's a seriously delicious and alternative in town. Almond milk has been gaining in popularity in recent years, but there are a few downsides to the product that you might want to know about. Hey, before you take that next sip of almond milk, listen to this… There's no doubt about it: Almond milk is a booming business these days. In fact, dairy milk alternatives in general are making some serious bank. Obviously that's great news for all those almond milk brands out there...but it's very bad news for dairy farmers. In 2019, Dean Foods, one of America's biggest dairy companies, declared bankruptcy. It's just one of several dairy brands that's seen a sizable dip in sales in recent years. The reason? Eric Beringause, the chief executive of Dean Foods, told Market Watch, "Despite our best efforts to make our business more agile and cost-efficient, we continue to be impacted by a challenging operating environment marked by continuing declines in consumer milk consumption." Sales of non-dairy milks increased by more than 60 percent between 2013 and 2018, racking up more than $2 billion in 2017. Needless to say, dairy farmers aren't exactly thrilled with this development. In fact, a few of these farmers have been lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to stop allowing almond milk manufacturers to use the term "milk." Even some government representatives are getting in on the action. For example, both Representative Peter Welch and Senator Tammy Baldwin have claimed a product must derive from a hoofed mammal to be called milk. In 2017, Welch told The New York Times, "The bottom line for us is that milk is defined by the FDA, and we're saying to the FDA: Enforce your definition." Welch and Baldwin represent Vermont and Wisconsin, respectively, two states with lots of dairy farms. Watch this video Before Taking Another Sip Of Almond Milk! #AlmondMilk #MilkAlternatives Dairy drama | 0:15 Great for your skin | 1:39 Make it at home | 2:16 Almond milk vs. just almonds | 3:13 Not for babies | 3:57 Is it keto friendly? | 4:44 The California connection | 5:31 Water consumption | 6:06 Pesticide use | 7:05 King of the mountain | 7:52 Nutritional value | 8:43 Sugar content | 9:26 Inflammation | 9:50 Read Full Article: https://www.mashed.com/56215/everything-need-know-almond-milk/