If you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative to animal milk or you are lactose intolerant — almond milk is a great substitute.  Ranked as the most popular plant-based milk in the United States alone.  It’s rich in essential healthy nutrients, such as protein and calcium.

It’s an essential ingredient in any fresh healthy restaurant or cafe and a staple in vegan kitchens as well as people who are allergic or intolerant to dairy.

Almond milk’s popularity has been on the rise since the early 2000s.  In 2011 alone, almond milk sales increased to 79%.

While you can’t have almond milk alone as a total replacement to dairy, you’ll need to have it combined with other ingredients to ensure that you are getting enough protein and calcium in each meal.

With that being said, it’s more commonly used mixed into smoothies, splashed into your morning coffee, in a matcha tea latte, in vegan cooking, and more.

It’s best to choose a brand that does not contain added sugar.  There are many different brands of almond milk, but I have found the best to be Silk.  Whichever brand you use, be sure to check the labels and only buy almond milk that doesn’t contain a lot of preservatives, sugar, and other additives.

It is made by blending almonds with water and then straining the mixture so that you are left with the liquid only.  It has a tasty nutty flavor with a creamy texture that’s similar to cow’s milk.

Digestion Helper

Lactose intolerance impacts about 25% of the U.S. population, which means they have difficulty digesting the sugar in cow’s milk.  Since dairy and cow’s milk can often be the reason for many people’s digestion problems, almond milk is a great alternative to keeping your stomach in check.  It has almost 1 gram of fiber per serving, keeping your gut and insides happy.

Helps to Lose & Maintain Weight

With one cup of regular, unsweetened almond milk coming in at only 60 calories as opposed to 146 calories in traditional whole cow’s milk, it’s a no-brainer to see why this nut milk is better for weight loss.

Lower Blood Sugar

100% almond milk with no add-ins is low in carbs.  This means that it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels thus reducing your risk for diabetes.  Since it has a low glycemic index, your body will use the carbs as energy so that the sugars won’t be stored as fat.

Strong Muscles

Almond milk may only contain 1 gram of protein per serving.  But, it has enough B vitamins such as iron and riboflavin, which are both important for muscle growth and healing of muscles.

Almond milk has 50% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, which contains antioxidant properties that are essential to your skin’s health and protecting against sun damage.

Bone Strengthener

Even though it may not offer as much calcium as cow’s milk, it does offer 30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium.  With the combination of vitamin D and calcium, you’ll have healthy bones and teeth.

Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

Since there’s no cholesterol or saturated fat in almond milk, you’ll have no trouble keeping your heart healthy.  It’s also low in sodium and high in healthy fats (such as omega fatty acids which are typically found in fish) — this helps to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.

High in Vitamin D

25% of the recommended amount of vitamin D which reduces your risk for arthritis and osteoporosis as well as improving your immune system.

Making your own almond milk ensures that you have the freshest and most healthy ingredients.  A homemade batch will last about _____ days.

Ready to make your own almond milk? The video linked below shows you a simple, (# step process) using only almonds and water.  Check it out below for the full recipe, courtesy of Downshiftology.

Easy Almond Milk

Makes: 4 cups

Total Time: 8 hours

Prep Time: 8 hours

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Nutritional Information (with optional add-ins):

• Makes:  4 cups
• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 107.1
• Total Fat: 9.2g
• Saturated Fat: 0.7g
• Sodium: 31mg
• Carbohydrates: 4g
• Fiber: 2.3g
• Sugar: 0.8g
• Protein: 3.9g

Ingredients

• 1 cups raw almonds, soaked overnight
• 4 cups cold filtered water, plus more for soaking

Optional

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup, honey or 1-2 soaked dates
• pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them.
2. Place the almonds in your blender of choice along with 4 cups of fresh, cold water and any optional add-ins.
3. Blend on high for 2 minutes.
4. Strain the almond milk through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth into a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour the almond milk into an air-tight storage container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

• When straining the almond milk, it’s preferable to strain it into a large measuring bowl as it’s easier to pour into a storage container without spilling.
• No refrigeration needed