Is Almond Milk Good For You? Plus, Almond Milk Recipe

Is Almond Milk Good For You? – Let me explain whether almond milk is good for you in the most simplest way possible — YES! Almond Milk IS good for you, especially in comparison to dairy from a cow. However, we want you to know some very important truths about commercially processed almond milk and the incredible almond milk benefits and nutrition.

Make your own using whole almonds or buy from one of our recommended brands.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: This article has grown over the years to include additional research and frequently asked questions by our readers. Use this guide to help you find the areas of this article with ease.

• Is Almond Milk Good For You? We answer all of your questions!
• Almond Milk Ingredients – Processed versus homemade recipe
• Health Benefits of Almond Milk – ONLY if you use Whole Almonds
• The Best Almond Milk Recipe
• Almond Milk Brands
• Almond Milk FAQ

Then, the best almond milk recipe full of nutrition and lots of health benefits.

If you saw my recent post about the best plant-based milk alternatives you may have noted that this wildly popular almond milk did not make the cut. That’s because the health benefits of almond milk are practically non-existent unless you are buying “whole” almond milk.

Most almond milk brands do NOT use “whole” almonds in their almond milk. Instead, these almond milks have been highly strained and have added sugars and other additives mixed in.

Clean store-bought “whole” almond milk brands DO exist though! See my favorites at the bottom of this page.

Is Almond Milk Good For You?

We get asked all the time if almond milk is good for you. The truth is, yes, it’s better than cow’s milk. BUT, we don’t believe it’s the most nutritious unless you are getting “whole” almonds in your almond milk.

Almond milk is good for you only if it isn’t highly strained. Most companies add in a few tablespoon of refined sugar which means it’s not really offering much nutrition.

Yes, there are plenty of health benefits of almond milk, but today we are going to tell you why “whole” almond milk is best. It seems alternative plant-based milks are turning up in the grocery store every month. Which tells me, the general population is beginning to realize that cow’s milk is really not a good option.

It’s important to know the health benefits of almond milk, when “whole” almonds are used. Plus, some information about commercially produced almond milk. Clean store-bought “whole” almond milk brands DO exist though! See my favorites at the bottom of this page.

The problem with commercially produced almond milk is that the vast majority of brands contain less than 5 percent almonds. Whereas, the rest of the “milk” consists of water with some emulsifiers and added synthetic nutrients.

Let’s Talk About Almond Milk Ingredients

Almond milk ingredients can differ from company to company. But, we have gone ahead and listed below the ingredients for the most popular brand available right now:

Almond milk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Gluconate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2.

This particular brand advertises that their product contains 50% more calcium than cow’s milk and that it is an excellent source of vitamin E.

However, this type of marketing is deceiving to the consumer. This brand of does not naturally contain significant amounts of calcium or vitamin E. Instead the almond milk has been artificially fortified with these synthetic nutrients making their almond milk ingredients less than nutritious.

Companies are doing to almond milk today as they did to flour years ago. Basically, they are processing a food and removing all of the good nutrition and then “fortifying” the food with synthetic nutrients.

The health benefits of commercial-processed almond milk is practically non-existent. For the same reason that enriched white flour is also not healthy. If you have been a Clean Cuisine follower in the past, then you know we are against fortifying foods with synthetic nutrients. Your body will never be able to utilize a synthetic nutrient the same way it can utilize nutrients from whole foods.

Now, let’s talk about the health benefits of almond milk when we use “whole” almonds!

Health Benefits of Almond Milk – Made with Whole Almonds

As you can tell, I am not a fan of commercially-processed milk or really many things processed and packaged in stores. However, homemade almond milk done right is a completely different story.

There are literally 1,000’s of recipes floating around the internet and I note 2 problems with every single one.

Problem #1: Almost every single homemade recipe requires a lengthy process of soaking almonds overnight — or up to 2 days.

Problem #2: Using a high speed blender and then straining the almond meal out with a cheesecloth.

Not only do these recipes take forever to get delicious homemade, unprocessed almond milk but straining out the meal removes all of the nutrients!

Yes, this method is certainly far superior to the processed milk you find at the local grocery store. Of course, homemade strained milk does not have synthetic nutrients added and often contains less sugar than commercial versions. However, that doesn’t make it a super nutritious milk alternative.

It also doesn’t make it a rich and creamy alternative either. In other words, strained homemade almond milk is going to have the consistency of skim milk. Not good.

There is a better, easier way and it makes a thicker milk similar to whole cow’s milk.

The Health Benefits of Almond Milk Using “Whole” Almonds

I have found the simplest, tastiest and most nutritious way to make homemade almond milk is to simply use raw almond butter. Of course you could always use whole almonds instead of almond butter, but you would definitely need to soak the almonds first. I have found using raw almond butter to be much easier and surprisingly tastier too.

Raw almond butter is uses “whole” almonds and is therefore a “whole” food. There are so many incredible health benefits of almonds from “whole” almond milk with raw almond butter. You get a significant source of REAL antioxidant vitamin E, REAL calcium, trace minerals, plant-protein and so much more.

The far-reaching benefits of whole almond milk verses conventional almond milk can be compared with the benefits of “whole” juice.

The only juice we drink in our house is “whole” juice made from the “whole” fruit. Conventional juice is just a processed food with the anti-inflammatory fiber removed. Once you remove the fiber from the fruit the sugar that is left behind is rapidly absorbed and can elevate insulin levels, promote inflammation, promote fat storage, etc.

When you remove the pulp from “whole” almonds to make almond milk you are, in essence, turning almonds into a refined food to drink. Not nutritious.

There is simply no way around it, almond milk that is strained is just not as nutritious as “whole” almond milk.

There is Only One Downside to Using Whole Almonds…

Yes, there is one downside to “whole” almond milk. You will definitely need to shake it well just before using it, otherwise all of the stuff that is normally strained out with conventional will all sink to the bottom.

The Best Almond Milk Recipe

As I mentioned earlier, this almond milk recipe is the simplest and healthiest almond milk you can find. My recipe uses raw almond butter.

Of course you could always use whole almonds instead of almond butter, but you would definitely need to soak the almonds first. I have found using raw almond butter to be much easier and surprisingly tastier too.

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Our Favorite Whole Almond Milk Brands:

And finally, store-bought clean “whole” almond milk does now exist! Here are my three favorite brands that you can pick up at Wegman’s, a local health food store and look online!

#1: Goodmylk Almond Mylk

Goodmylk Co. makes whole almond milk and packages them in concentrated sleeves that pop in the freezer. When you’re ready to make some almond milk, just let the concentrate sit in the fridge overnight. Then add 22 ounces of water and shake. Remember, you will need to shake before each use.

#2: New Barn Organics Unsweetened Almondmilk

New Barn Organics makes a creamy unsweetened almond milk using just a few natural organic ingredients. You can learn more about their products here. A few of their varieties are made with sugar, so be sure to check the ingredients.

#3: MALK Pure Almond Milk

Malk Organics uses just three ingredients in their cold pressed almond milk: filtered water, organic almonds and salt. That’s it.

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