Store Bought Almond Milk

Almonds (especially organic and soaked) are a rich source of nutrients including protein, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and healthy fats.  And as more people are turning to milk alternatives to replace dairy, there are many almond milk brands to choose from.

But have you looked at the ingredient list on that carton of almond milk? It is long.  And often contains less than stellar ingredients, including additives, preservatives, fillers, gums, and stabilizers to help prevent separation and to make them shelf-stable.  In fact, store bought almond milk has more water, additives, “natural flavours”, and sweeteners than almonds.  Recent industry insiders admitted that half-gallon of almond milk contains less than a handful of actual almonds.  One brand contained only a pitiful 2% of almonds!  And while these ingredients may be relatively harmless,  you are much better off making your own homemade almond milk using 2 ingredients: almonds and water.  (Simple recipe here.)

Of course, we don’t always have the time to soak, blend, strain, and bottle our own almond milk every few days. So when shopping for alternative plant milks, be sure to read labels. Don’t assume that they are all healthy!  Choose brands without added sugar (including rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, or cane sugar), natural flavours,  sodium and oils. It is also best to avoid brands which contain gums and other thickeners (carrageenan, guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum) as they are highly processed and inflammatory to the body. The less ingredients, the healthierI