Do you now opt for nut milk rather than regular milk? Nut milks are getting more and more popular by the day and it seems like every-day a new milk type pops up! So, what do you think? Are you a supporter of reducing your dairy intake and improving your diet with more of other beneficial nutrients? The only problem with nut milks is that you need to educate yourself in regards to the nutritional information as a certain type might not be the best for you. You can easily look up each type’s nutritional information and make an educated decision when choosing the best nut milk(s) for you and gauging what your intake should be. Let’s get into the details of why you would choose to go the nut milk route as well as reasons why you should think about it if you haven’t already.
Lactose intolerance is a big problem for many people and nut milks are the solution as they can substitute these options in their foods for milk such as lattes, creamy chicken soup or lasagna, baking and sauces. Others suffer from casein intolerance which is also a growing problem as more and more people are getting tested for food intolerances and finding it out. Those who have an intolerance to casein have an issue with the protein found in cow products while lactose is the sugar component. Now according to food intolerances there is a high possibility that you have other food intolerances if you already have one, therefore, it is really important to check yourself for these types of intolerances by getting a food print test. Having this alternative is crucial to vegans and maintain their diet sustainably.
Nut milks don’t have the same amount of protein as traditional milk, but they have less calories and sometimes even higher amounts of calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin E. The special thing about nut milks though is that you usually get some fibre while there is no fibre in regular milk. Although there are so many benefits of drinking nut milks compared to regular dairy milk there are several drawbacks as well. In terms of sustainability and being eco-friendly it takes around 3 gallons of water to produce only one almond milk, meaning it takes around 300 galls of water to make 100 almonds or around 1 litre of almond milk. Now imagine the amount of almond milk bottles we see on all those aisles and how much water goes into producing all of that! Another reason to possibly defer from drinking nut milks is that they sometimes contain ingredients such as guar gum, sweeteners and preservatives that are unnecessary. Also, price tags run high for this great alternative (even if you make it at home) compared to the lower prices of traditional milk.
All in all, according to some studies, the top three nut milks in terms of nutrition are almond, cashew and macadamia. My personal top three are macadamia, walnut and coconut. In conclusion, I suggest looking and comparing the nutritional facts of all the nut milks that are available to you and to only then decide to continue which you use or decide to start because you may be really shocked when you look at the facts, especially at what oat milk has to offer. Happy reading!
* The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.
Reem Abdulrahman Jassim al-Muftah
