Almond milk is a highly nutritious beverage, especially if you get it unsweetened, where it does have much in the way of added carbohydrates or calories. Made from the superfood almonds, it contains healthy fats and calories. You’ll also find a selection of different nutrients in almond milk, from potassium to calcium. In this article, we will be looking at the nutritional facts on almond milk.
Almond milk doesn’t provide a lot of protein, but you can find several different options that bulk up the offering by adding vegan sources of protein to the milk. These contain slightly different nutrient profiles than unsweetened almond milk by itself, but the added protein can be beneficial for supporting lean muscle mass.
Nutrients in One Cup of Almond Milk
A serving size of one cup of unsweetened almond milk contains the following nutrients:
- 30 calories
- 5 grams of fat
- 0 grams of cholesterol
- 0 grams of sugars
- 160mg of potassium
- 10% of your daily Vitamin A
- 45% of your daily calcium
Nutrition Facts about Almond Milk
1. Enriched almond milk is almost as nutritious as cow’s milk.
Almond milk frequently contains added protein, calcium and Vitamin D, which makes its nutrient profile more similar to that of cow’s milk. The almond milk still tends to contain fewer calories, unless you have a type that has been sweetened or otherwise flavored. The fact that almond milk can be a substitute of cow’s milk is a great nutrition fact about almond milk!
Because of certain enzymes in almond milk, you might have issues absorbing certain nutrients that are present in it, such as iron and magnesium. This is largely due to phytic acid in the milk, which blocks absorption of these minerals.
2. Almond milk is low in calories.
Almonds are high in fat and calories, but commercial almond milk is processed in a way that makes it fat content similar to that of 1% cow’s milk, which has 1% fat. The producers do that by adding water to the milk to dilute it. As such, unsweetened almond milk contains about half of the calories as one cup of skim milk.
Always remember to check the nutrition labels, especially if you are consuming almond milk as a lower calorie alternative to dairy milk to ensure that you aren’t getting a milk that is high in calories as different manufacturers can produce their milk in different ways. Homemade almond milk also tends to be higher in calories than commercial formulations.
3. Unsweetened almond milk has less effect on blood sugar.
Almond milks that are unsweetened are low on the glycemic index. This means when you consume them, they have little effect on your blood sugar and blood sugar control, making them an ideal and healthy drink. This fact about almond milk is related to it being low in carbohydrates while also high in fat and protein relative to its carbohydrate amount. Many diabetics are able to drink this with little worries compared even to low-fat dairy milk.
4. Enriched almond milk contains lots of calcium.
Dairy milk is much higher in calcium than regular almond milk that has not been enriched because almonds are a poor source of calcium. One cup of the enriched almond milk can contain up to 50% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, making it more concentrated in calcium than one up of dairy milk, which might only contain 31%. People who don’t eat or drink dairy products, such as those with lactose intolerance or vegans, can benefit from drinking this enriched source of calcium. The calcium helps with building strong bones and decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Almond milk is dairy-free.
While almond milk shares the name with dairy milk, it doesn’t contain any animal products. This nutrition fact about almond milk makes it an ideal beverage for those who choose not to consume animal products such as vegans.
Almond milk is also a great source for people who are lactose-intolerant. Lactose is a simple sugar, often called milk sugar, that many people cannot properly digest. When it isn’t digested completely, it moves through the gut to the colon where it is fermented and can cause problems like gas and diarrhea. Because almond milk doesn’t contain any lactose, it is ideal for people who can’t digest the sugar.
6. Almond milk can reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease.
Almonds are high in Vitamin E and healthy fats, which means that they help reduce the risk of heart disease. Almond milk has the same beneficial properties. The predominant fatty acid in almond oil is oleic acid which can promote beneficial changes in your lipid levels, such as decreasing bad lipids or LDL cholesterol and increasing good lipids, HDL cholesterol. This leads to a reduced risk of heart disease. One cup also provides around half of the amount of Vitamin E you need in a single day, which protects against oxidation of lipids.
Almond milk is a relatively low-calorie drink that many people can benefit from, whether they can’t drink dairy milk or simply choose not to. The milk contains beneficial nutrients, especially when it is enriched, giving it more vitamin D and calcium than its unenriched counterparts. The main thing to consider is whether or not you want to drink it unsweetened, as sweetened versions are higher in calories and carbohydrates than unsweetened.
I hope that this article on almond milk nutrition facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the health facts page!