How Healthy Is Almond Milk? Here’s Nutritionist’s Side of the Story
Non-dairy milks have been flying off supermarket shelves, and plant-based milk options are now available at coffee shops and smoothie joints across the country. According to consumer research group Mintel, sales of non-dairy milks have increased by more than 60% since 2012, and one in five Americans say they are consuming less dairy for health reasons.
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Almond milk has become the most popular plant-based milk option, with sales at nearly $1.5 billion dollars in 2020 alone. But you may be wondering just how healthy almond milk really is and how it stacks up against its competition. Here’s the lowdown, along with what to look for on the label and ways to incorporate almond milk into drinks, meals, and treats.
Almond milk nutritional breakdown
There’s no one way to formulate almond milk. And because of that, the nutritional breakdown of almond milk is different for each product. Overall, though, the protein and carb contents in unsweetened almond milk (made from just filtered water and almonds) are quite low per cup, so the main macronutrient you’re getting is healthful fat. But that can vary widely from product to product, depending on how many almonds a particular milk contains (because yes, the water-to-almonds ratio can vary from brand to brand). In other words, some products contain more almonds than others, which is one factor that impacts the drink’s potential health benefits.
Of course, that’s just one product example. The simplest unsweetened versions (like the one described above) contain just two ingredients: water and almonds. But if a product is fortified (the addition of nutrients that aren’t naturally there), the vitamin and mineral content of almond milk can vary considerably.
Some almond milk brands are fortified with calcium, which can bump up the mineral’s daily value to meet or exceed the amount found in cow’s milk. If they’ve been put into a product’s formulation, vitamins D and B12 are other nutrients you may find in higher amounts in almond milk.
In addition, some companies add protein to almond milk, primarily pea protein, sourced from yellow split peas. Whether these products still qualify as almond milk is up for debate.
Almond milk nutrition vs. other milks
The main reason people choose plant milk is to avoid dairy, whether that’s due to a dairy allergy or sensitivity or a desire to eat a plant-based diet. But both milks are very different nutritionally. One cup of cow’s milk provides about 8 grams of protein, 13 grams of carb, and from 0 grams of fat in skim to 8 grams in whole milk. Cow’s milk also provides about 25% of the daily value for calcium naturally. However, you don’t need to get your calcium from dairy in order to develop strong bones, either as a child or as an adult. (Plus, scientists have noted that dairy production contributes to environmental issues, including greenhouse gas production, climate change, pollution, and antibiotic resistance.)
As for how almond milk stacks up against other plant milks, it depends on the alternative. One cup of unsweetened oat milk is also low in protein, with perhaps 3 grams at most, but it’s much higher in carbs, typically about 16 grams, with a few grams as fiber. The fat content of oat milk also varies, as many brands add oil, and the vitamin and minerals levels differ based on the degree of fortification.
Many almond milk brands have added sugar
As for sweetened almond milk, including flavors like chocolate and vanilla, the amount of added sugar also varies by brand. One cup can provide as much as 12 grams of added sugar, the equivalent of 3 teaspoons—that’s half of the recommended daily cap for added sugar for women, based on the American Heart Association’s guidelines.
If you’re only using a quarter cup in your coffee, the added sugar isn’t really an issue. But if you’re someone who is concerned about taking in too much added sugar, then an unsweetened or lightly sweetened version might be a better bet. Lightly sweetened versions contain about 7 grams of added sugar per cup, or just under 2 teaspoons.
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