Almond milk is made from almond nuts and is sweetened with honey, while others add salt to make it tasty.
The milk is available in the supermarket, or you can make it at home by soaking almonds overnight and blending them in the following morning. Almonds have higher levels of Vitamin E, Calcium, fiber, and lower protein and fat volumes. Thus, many producers fortify the milk with proteins, vitamins, and calcium to reach the same nutritional level as the milk.
Making almond milk at home is better because the one offered at the health food shops is diluted with rice milk or water. Almond milk has attracted increased attention in recent years, and therefore, you may be wondering about the nutritional profile of this milk.
Nutritional Profile of Almond Milk
Low-calories: The milk has 56 calories for every 100ml.
Low Fat: It has 1.5g for each 100g. The fat is unsaturated.
Low Protein: 0.5g for every 100 ml and lower fiber content.
Straining and blending processes raise the carbohydrates level by 10g for each 100ml, and out of this, 5g is sugar.
Sweetened almond milk has a higher sugar content while the one with salt has a higher salt content.
Vitamin E: It’s an essential component in the body, for it serves as an antioxidant that maintains the eyes and the skin in a healthy condition. It also supports the immune system.
The store-bought milk may be fortified with vitamins such as vitamin D and Vitamin B12. On the other hand, the homemade almond milk contains higher nutrient value and less salt and sugar since it’s not diluted, or sweetened and has more nuts than the commercial brands.
Calcium: it’s an excellent source of calcium, for it has 120mg for every 100 ml. You are required to consume approximately 700mh of calcium every day to strengthen your bones. Calcium helps the blood clot usually.
Comparison between Almond’s Milk and Cow’s Milk
1. Calorie Content
The following are the calorie content in a cup of each milk.
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Unsweetened almond milk has 30 calories.
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Sweetened vanilla-flavored milk has 90 calories.
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Skim cow milk has 90 calories.
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Whole cow milk has 150 calories.
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1 % low-fat milk has 110 calories.
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2% low-fat milk has 130 calories.
2. Protein
Almond milk has lower levels of protein than cow’s milk. The following is the protein content in a cup of each type of milk.
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Skim, whole, and low-fat milk each have 8 grams.
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High-protein cow’s milk has approximately 13 grams.
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Almond milk has 1 gram.
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Fortified almond milk has 5 grams.
3. Types of Fat
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Almond milk has mono and polyunsaturated fats that are healthy for the heart.
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Cow milk has saturated, low fat-fat milk has lower levels of saturated fat, while skim milk is free of fats.
4. Carbohydrates
Almond milk has lower levels of carbohydrates unless when it’s sweetened.
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Cow milk has 12 grams as lactose or natural sugar.
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Unsweetened almond milk has 1 gram and no sugar.
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Sweetened almond milk has 16 grams as a result of added sugar.