Non-dairy milks have been flying off supermarket shelves, and plant-based milk options are now available at coffee shops and smoothie joints across the country. According to consumer research group Mintel, sales of non-dairy milks have increased by more than 60% since 2012, and one in five Americans say they are consuming less dairy for health reasons.
Almond milk has become the most popular plant-based milk option, with sales at nearly $1.5 billion dollars in 2020 alone. But you may be wondering just how healthy almond milk really is and how it stacks up against its competition. Here's the lowdown, along with what to look for on the label and ways to incorporate almond milk into drinks, meals, and treats.
There's no one way to formulate almond milk. And because of that, the nutritional breakdown of almond milk is different for each product. Overall, though, the protein and carb contents in unsweetened almond milk (made from just filtered water and almonds) are quite low per cup, so the main macronutrient you're getting is healthful fat. But that can vary widely from product to product, depending on how many almonds a particular milk contains (because yes, the water-to-almonds ratio can vary from brand to brand). In other words, some products contain more almonds than others, which is one factor that impacts the drink's potential health benefits.
For perspective, an 8-ounce portion of Elmhurt's unsweetened almond milk ($5.99, amazon.com) provides 11 grams of "good" fat, 5 grams of plant protein, and just 3 grams of carbohydrate, with no added sugar. A 1-cup serving provides 6% of the daily value for iron and 4% for potassium.
Of course, that's just one product example. The simplest unsweetened versions (like the one described above) contain just two ingredients: water and almonds. But if a product is fortified (the addition of nutrients that aren't naturally there), the vitamin and mineral content of almond milk can vary considerably. READ MORE
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