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."
"Unfortunately there are bankruptcies happening at 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 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.
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 Shop to Lush, use almond milk in their products,
because it makes for an absolutely incredible moisturizer.
Blended with almond oil, almond milk can reduce fine lines on your face, prevent premature
wrinkles, and smooth your skin all around.
Oh, and guess what?
Products made with almond milk are reportedly great for people with sensitive skin.
Plus, you don't have to drop a bunch of cash on high-end products.
And, it's worth mentioning that making almond milk masks at home is super-easy: Simply dip
a cotton ball into some almond milk and spread it on your face.
Your skin will feel impeccably soft…and you'll smell nice, too.
Making your own almond milk may sound like a daunting task.
After all, how does one go about milking an almond, 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 in water for a long time: We're talking 8 to
12 hours here.
According to The Kitchn,
"The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the almond milk."
"Raw almonds, too.
Wanna point that out."
"Raw and, raw organic, if we're really going to go there."
Your almonds should be quite plump after they've been soaked.
Next, drain and rinse the almonds and put them in a blender along with a small amount
of room-temperature water.
Blend for about two minutes and then strain the contents using a towel or cheesecloth.
Congratulations…you've just made almond milk!
And guess what?
When you make your own almond milk, you get to use whatever flavor enhancements you want,
because that light almond flavor is basically a blank canvas.
We suggest adding vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmeg for a warm cozy taste.
If you want to get super-fancy and we're quite sure you do add in some matcha or even lavender.
That ensures a highly flavorful and aromatic almond milk.
Enjoy!
Almond milk vs. just almonds
If you've been drinking almond milk for its nutritional 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, including vitamin 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 about 30 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 packed with protein, almond milk on the other hand
only has one gram per cup.
This is because almond milk is strained, causing a 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 milk really isn't the way to go, at least according
to Dr. Julie Lemale.
Her 2014 study concluded that infants who drink almond milk develop nutritional deficiencies
and growth problems.
"For children under two years of age, almond milk isn't a suitable replacement for cow's
milk or formula."
If your child happens to be allergic to milk or lactose intolerant, consult your pediatrician
for help finding an appropriate formula.
Almond milk doesn't contain a particularly high amount of protein and calcium nor does
it have as many vitamins and minerals as regular milk.
Obviously, that can be a problem since growing children need calcium to strengthen their
bones.
That's not to say children older than two can't have almond milk; it just needs to be
consumed alongside other food and beverages that provide all the essential nutrients.
Basically, it's all about moderation.
The ketogenic diet has become increasingly popular in recent years.
This extremely low-carb diet forces the body to burn fat by sending itself into ketosis.
The keto diet doesn't allow for high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, typically relying
on full-fat foods instead.
Well, as it turns out, almond milk is quite keto 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 sugar in it is added sugar.
It's not naturally occuring sugars."
Unsweetened almond milk is relatively low in 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 milk a day won't break the carb bank, and if you're
an active person, or happen to be practicing the Targeted Keto Diet, you can consume even
more if you'd like.
Eighty percent of the earth's almonds are grown in California including 100 percent
of the commercial supply in America.
And now that people are eating more nuts than ever, the crop has become the backbone of
California's agriculture.
Almond orchards take up over one million acres in 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 University of California, Davis, told Bloomberg,
"California is the best place to grow [almonds].
Where else can the weather be hot and dry and perfect, but you also have a system where
you can bring water from mountains full of snow?”
As you may know, it takes a lot of water to grow almonds, and we mean a lot.
It takes 1.1 gallons of water to grow a single almond.
Now think of all the millions and billions of almonds grown each season, and you can
probably start to see the issue here.
Needless to say, it takes plenty of almonds to make a single carton of almond milk.
In order to grow almonds and meet ever-increasing demands, California farmers have been drilling
wells at an alarming rate.
California has long been at risk of becoming a desert, and the constant over-drilling has
contributed to the decline of usable soil.
Meanwhile, California just went through a long 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 industry uses more water in California than the entire
cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined.
Fortunately, there are measures being taken to address the problem.
As Almonds.com reports,
"By 2025, the California almond community commits to [reducing] the amount of water
[it takes] to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 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 almond and almond milk production certainly has its
fair share of issues.
According to The UCSF's Office of Sustainability,
"The main issues associated with almond milk production are water use and pesticide use,
which may produce long lasting effects on the environment in...California, where more
than 80% of the world's almonds are grown."
The use of these pesticides is problematic for a number of reasons.
As The UCSF's Office of Sustainability reports,
"The USDA Pesticide Data Program has found residues of nine different pesticides on almonds,
five of which are toxic to honey bees, posing yet another threat to the environment."
Just something to think about before pouring yourself that next ice-cold glass of almond
milk.
Soy milk used to rule the roost when it came to the alternative milk industry, but nowadays,
almond milk is king.
Larry Finkel, the director of food and beverage research at Marketresearch.com, told Bloomberg,
"Nuts are trendy now.
Soy sounds more like old-fashioned health food, like tofu, and could probably benefit
by a re-invigoration of their brand."
According to data compiled by CNBC, almond milk sales reached $1.3 billion in 2019.
Soy milk was the second most popular non-dairy milk option…but it was still way behind
almond milk, only making $194 million during the same time period.
"Welcome to the popular table.
Or not."
Obviously lots of people love the stuff some nutritionists included.
Jennifer Bowers, PhD, RD, told Mashed,
"I recommend it often, especially with patients who have diabetes or kidney disease.
High quality almond milk provides a calcium boost, 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 proper substitute for cow's milk because, as we mentioned,
it's rather lacking in the protein and calcium department.
Registered dietitian Lisa Cohn tells Mashed,
"Some people [aren't] aware of the nutritional differences, which can be especially problematic
for women and breastfeeding women [as far as their] calcium, vitamin D, B vitamin and
protein needs [are concerned].
The calories from almond milk can also create weight 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 Valerie Agyeman tells Mashed,
"Almond milk isn't as bad as people make it seem, it is actually very nutritious.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't as nutritious as cow's milk, but enriched almond milk comes
pretty close to hitting the nutritional content of cow milk."
Our advice?
Check your labels and buy almond milk that's enriched with added nutrients.
Here's a fact that some of you might find not-so sweet: There are several almond milk
brands out there that are packed with sugar.
That's why we strongly recommend that you choose 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 sugar content or you can purchase sugar-free almond
milk."
Obviously if you're drinking almond milk for health reasons, that added sugar won't be
doing you any favors.
A word to the wise: Some almond milk brands contain carrageenan, a common thickening agent
made from seaweed.
Sure, it helps give almond milk its creamy texture, but at what cost?
According to a review in Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have linked consuming
carrageenan with increased inflammation.
Nutritionist and healthy living expert Valérie Orsoni tells Mashed,
"Although it is derived from seaweed, which sounds pretty healthy, studies have [suggested
otherwise].
Research on the effects of this additive is not at all conclusive, but based on studies
thus far, I highly recommend avoiding almond milk that contains carrageenan."
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