“Almond milk replaces milk”, “it’s better for your health”… Answer our True-False to test your knowledge with Estel Barellon, Doctor of Pharmacy, naturopath and pharmacist.
It's a trendy vegetable milk.
It's true. Among all the plant-based milks available on the shelves of supermarkets or specialist organic stores, almond milk is particularly popular. In fact, according to the Futura website , sales have doubled in just a decade. Why such success? Almond milk is mainly chosen to replace cow's milk, particularly in the context of lactose intolerance. Indeed, this plant-based milk, with a pleasant taste and quite similar to its cousin milk, is also very suitable for making dessert recipes. Another explanation: it is also an alternative of choice for vegans and vegetarians.
It is a nutritionally interesting vegetable milk.
That's wrong. Of all the plant-based milks, it's not the most interesting, even though it has a very good reputation with the public. In France, we buy two almond milks out of three plant-based milks... That's saying something! But despite this great success, almond milk is not perfect from a nutritional point of view. Its main drawback? The addition of sugars which tends to move it from the " health food " box to that of a "classic food". Why do we still like it? A little less caloric than cow's milk (unless it's bathed in sugar!), almond milk, lactose-free and therefore easier to digest, also has another major advantage: its richness in good quality unsaturated fats. Finally, let's not forget that almond milk, rich in proteins, fibers and magnesium, has undoubtedly benefited from the GMO crisis which affected soy plant-based milk, which was very popular a few years ago...
Young children can consume almond milk instead of cow's milk.
This is false. In any case, not before the age of three and always as part of dietary diversification. In no case can almond milk replace breast milk or cow's milk for them before that age. The ideal? Vary the pleasures and introduce them to other plant-based milks alternating with cow's milk (unless medically contraindicated of course). The idea is not to create a dietary "routine" for them ("in the morning it's almond milk and nothing else") that they will have difficulty breaking away from later.
All almond milks are equal.
This is false. Instead, choose organic versions and especially those with the indication "no added sugars". But, to diversify your food intake as much as possible, change brands regularly and, to break your routines, alternate almond milk with other vegetable milks.
Most almonds come from California
It's true. In France, almond production exists, particularly in Provence, but it is insufficient to meet all the demands of producers. The problem is that, unfortunately, the cultivation, which is too often very intensive, of almonds is ecologically criticized. It requires a very high consumption of water, with the consequence of a tendency to dry out Californian soils. There is even talk of a need for four liters of water for a single almond. So imagine when you dig into the bowl without counting at the aperitif. Almond production in California is often accused of being an ecological disaster (use of pesticides, intensive yield, etc.). Not to mention the carbon cost of transporting almonds from one continent to another. In short, in the clean planet, almonds experience the same pitfalls as avocados.
You can make your own homemade almond milk
That's right. Yes! And, good news, it's very simple and more economically advantageous. Remember that almond milk is sold almost three times more expensive than cow's milk. Oops... To make your homemade almond milk, soak 250 grams of almonds in a liter of tap water for 8 hours (or overnight, it's even easier). The next day, mix everything in a food processor. Then, pass this mixture through a cloth. The liquid collected (filtered by the cloth) is your delicious homemade almond milk. Place the drink in a glass bottle and put it in the refrigerator. You can consume it within five days. What to do with the remaining material in the cloth? Above all, don't throw it away! Use this "okara", the name of this oilseed residue, as almond powder. Store it in an airtight container and use it in your sweet culinary preparations! If you're more of a "sweet" person, you'll find other recipes, including a floating island with almond plant milk, in the book by our expert Estel Barellon, Doctor of Pharmacy, naturopath and pharmacist, author of "Cuisiner pour se soigner" (Éditions Kiwi) and on her blog and Instagram account of the same name.
