Dairy Gives You the Willies But Is Almond Milk a Good Alternative?

While I'm not a vegan, and I have in the past been an advocate for organic dairy products, I eat less and less dairy all the time. I think it's important to experiment with your diet and see what works best. But more and more questions about dairy have come into light recently.

Americans consume more cow's milk and its products per person than most populations in the world. So Americans should have wonderfully strong bones right? Unfortunately not. A recent study showed that American women aged 50 and older have one of the highest rates of hip fractures in the world.

- T. Colin Campbell, The China Study

I wrote last week about using soy as a substitute for dairy and lots of people asked me about almond milk. Almond milk is really starting to catch on and I've long been a fan of it.

When push comes to shove, how healthy is almond milk?

The Good

Like soy milk, almond milk contains zero cholesterol so it's a good option for those with heart disease. It's really low in calories and fat and it doesn't contain lactose, so it's an option for people with lactose intolerance. You're likely well aware that almonds are so good for you that they're considered a superfood of sorts. And so the milk made from almonds also has numerous health benefits. It's rich in the antioxidant vitamin E. Almond milk has protein and omega fatty acids. It also contains other minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium. What's more, there is much less controversy surrounding almond milk when compared to soy, because it's basically made up of ground almonds and water, both non-controversial ingredients.

The Not-So-Good

The nutrient density of almonds is very different from that of almond milk. As a result of the high cost of almonds, there may not be enough almonds in many brands of almond milk to have enough of the minerals listed above. Read the side of your almond milk carton and you may find that almonds are the second or third ingredient following water and sweeteners. According to Fit Foods For Thought, the amount of almonds used to make almond milk may not be adequate enough to provide the best nutrition even when fortified.

The Green

Just like most other dairy substitutes, it's hard to source almond milk close to home. You can buy the organic variety, but then there's still the packaging, and all the processing that goes into making the milk. You can remove these steps by making it yourself. You can also make the milk denser and healthier by including more almonds. And it's much cheaper to make it yourself. We go through it pretty fast at our house between breakfast smoothies, coffee and tea, and morning oats. But you can make it on the cheap at home.