Before I begin talking about the benefits of almond milk, it’s nutrients and the almond milk recipe that I use, let’s just pause for a second. If you don’t care about any of that and just want the recipe, scroll down and watch the video. It’s 3 minutes long and contains a bonus at the end for making your very own almond flour from the leftover pulp.
For all the rest of you that do want to know the health benefits of almond milk, read on.
Health Benefits of Almond Milk
- There’s no cholesterol or saturated fat in almond milk. Which is great for your heart health. It also contains a higher percentage of healthy fats, like omega fatty acids that will help to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.
- You won’t get quite as much calcium from almond milk as you do from cow’s milk, but it still offers around 30% of your recommended daily intake of calcium. It also has a quarter of your recommended daily intake of vitamin D. Taken together this is great news for your bone health, teeth health and your immune system.
- Your skin will thank you. Almond milk contains around 50% of your recommended vitamin E intake. The antioxidants contained in vitamin E protect your skin against sun damage.
- Almond milk contains very little carbs. Great for those on a low carb diet. This also means it won’t increase your blood sugar levels, brilliant for warding off diabetes.
- Almond milk is chock full of vitamin B, which is very important for muscle growth and healing. So if you’re lifting weights, switch to almond milk and reap the benefits!
- Are you lactose intolerant? Guess what? Almond milk contains no lactose. Considering more than 60% of the entire world population have a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy, you could be feeling symptoms without even knowing it.
- Calories in almond milk are lower than in cow’s milk. Meaning it’s an easy way for you to reduce calories if embarking on a diet.
Some very compelling reasons for you to switch over from cow’s milk to almond milk.
Almond Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 grams almonds
- 2 pints (500 ml ish) fresh water
- 10 grams of honey
Unbelievably, that’s all the ingredients you need to make almond milk!
Method
Soak your almonds in water for at least 8 hours (leaving them overnight is the best way to do this).
Drain and rinse your almonds.
Add your fresh water to the almonds and your honey. If you like it sweeter, add more honey. Want the almond milk to taste creamier? Use less water. You don’t have to get all scientific with measurements, you really can’t mess this up.
Blend the water, almonds and honey until smooth.
Sieve over a bowl. I also pass the liquid through a muslin cloth to ensure no bits in my milk. Squeeze out all the liquid.
Decant your almond milk into a suitable container and use within 3 to 4 days.
Then pulp that is left over can be spread in an oven pan and dried out in a low heat oven. This can then be ground down and used as flour. It’s nutritious and adds protein and healthy fats to breads and other baked goods.