Almond milk is one of the most popular and important types of plant milk because it’s made from almonds rich in beneficial nutrients and high nutritional value. That’s why doctors and nutrition experts always recommend drinking it. There are many types of almond milk, the main ones are: sweetened almond milk, unsweetened almond milk, chocolate almond milk, coconut almond milk, and others. These types differ a bit based on the nutrients they contain in abundance. Below we show you the key nutritional facts about almond milk.
Nutritional facts for almond milk:
Here are the nutritional values for one cup of unsweetened almond milk:
- Calories: 30 calories
- Fat: 2.5 grams
- Sodium: 170 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 1 gram
- Fiber: Less than 0.7 grams
- Sugar: 0 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
The key features of almond milk:
Based on the nutritional values in almond milk, there are some related characteristics:
- Unsweetened almond milk has only 30 calories. This is because carbs and protein each give 4 calories, and fat gives 9 calories. If you add nutrients to unsweetened almond milk, the calories per cup will naturally increase.
- Sweetened almond milk has 93 calories and 16 grams of carbs per cup.
- Unsweetened vanilla almond milk has 30 calories and 1 gram of carbs per cup.
- Vanilla almond milk has 80 calories and 14 grams of carbs per cup.
- Unsweetened chocolate almond milk has 51 calories and 3 grams of carbs per cup.
- Sweetened chocolate almond milk has 123 calories and 23 grams of carbs per cup.
- One cup of almond milk contains 4 to 7 almonds depending on the commercial product type.
- Usually one cup of almond milk has 2.5 grams of fat: 1.5 grams are from monounsaturated fat, and 0.5 grams from polyunsaturated fat. These are considered healthy fats because they support heart health and raise good HDL cholesterol. The more almonds used to make the milk, the higher the fat content, which gives it a creamy texture. Fat usually doesn’t affect the milk’s flavor.
- One cup of almond milk has 1 gram of protein. You can add some plant-based proteins from other sources to boost this amount and support body building since proteins help build bones, muscles, and keep skin, hair, and nails healthy. One cup of animal milk has 8 grams of protein, regardless of extra fat content. So almond milk compares well here.
- One cup of almond milk contains 481 mg of calcium, which is 45% of your daily needs if you eat 2000 calories a day. Animal milk has 276 mg of calcium per cup, or 28% of your daily needs at 2000 calories daily. So almond milk wins again here. Calcium is important for building and keeping bones strong and protecting against osteoporosis and soft bones.
- Almond milk has vitamin E, which protects the body from oxidative stress, boosts metabolism, keeps the body healthy, and helps prevent diseases like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes.
Health benefits of almond milk:
Besides all the health benefits from the small and large nutrients found in almond milk, there are also many other health benefits this milk provides, like:
- Meeting nutritional needs for lactose intolerant patients:
Almond milk is known for not causing lactose allergy from animal milk. It's a healthy plant-based alternative, packed with nutrients that your body needs, so you don't have to drink animal milk if you don’t want to or if it harms you.
- Adding a tasty and healthy flavor to drinks and foods:
With its low calories and great taste, you can add almond milk to your coffee or meal and enjoy a better flavor than white sugar, which you can't get from animal milk or its products.
How can you get almond milk?
You can get almond milk in different kinds from grocery stores. It's a common product but its nutritional ingredients vary by brand. So always check the label before buying to pick the one you want. Most almond milk products need to be kept in the fridge but some are shelf-stable at room temperature. Still, freezing them is not recommended because it might mess up the ingredients and spoil the milk before its expiration date. Almond milk can also have some additives that vary by product to provide useful nutrients for your health like:
- Calcium carbonate, which boosts the calcium amount in almond milk.
- Sunflower lecithin, a fat that helps heart health.
- Potassium citrate, an additive to control acidity.
Allergies and reactions inside the body:
If you have a nut allergy, it’s not advised to drink almond milk or other nut-based plant milks like cashew milk. But if you’re healthy and don’t have this allergy, you can drink it even if someone else nearby is allergic, since they won’t be harmed unless they drink it.
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