The truth about almonds and almond milk.
Almond are the edible seeds that grow on the almond tree.
They are a great source of fibre and protein, and contain important nutrients including vitamin E, selenium, zinc, calcium, magnesium and B vitamins, especially folate and biotin (vitamin B7).
Almonds have numerous benefits such as: * Slows down brain damage * Fights inflammation * Improves lipid profile and glucose control in diabetics * Lowers blood pressure * Wards off cancer * Strengthens immunity and fights fever The almonds we buy at the store have usually had the shell removed, revealing the edible nut inside. They are sold either raw (often referred to as "natural") or roasted. If almonds are considered as an healthy snack, they also contain lipids which are sources of calories. You should therefore limit your consumption to 10 almonds a day. It is also better to consume the one not peeled, not grilled and without added salt. So always prefer the raw version (with shell removed or not).
What about almond milk? Those looking for a dairy-free milk substitute have probably stumbled across almond milk and wondered, “Is almond milk good for me?” Whether you’re a vegan, sensitive to milk or just don’t like the taste, almond milk is a great alternative. While almond milk is becoming more and more popular, it’s important to note that it doesn’t provide as much nutrients to be a complete substitute to animal milk, even if it’s less caloric. Does it mean that we recommend drinking dairy milk? Absolutely not. We are just sharing information with you. Now let’s compare almond milk with the raw almonds seed. For those who think almond milk is a nutritious product, well…we are sorry to disappoint you. What most consumers fail to realize is that almond milk is a marketing product made by industrial to make money at less costs. You just have to check the label of the almond milk bottle you buy in your supermarket. Whether organic or not, most of the time it will only contain between 2 and 7% of almonds. The rest of the liquid being water, sugar and possibly other additives. If we had to launch a product with the only aim to make a lot of money, we would probably create our own almond milk! So how to get all the benefits from almonds? You have two options: - eat raw almonds - do your own almond milk: 100g almond, 1 liter water, mix, filter with a tissue or coffee filter, the milk is ready. It’s nutritious (contains 5 time more almonds than industrial milk), healthy and does not contain sugar and other additives. The pulp remaining in the filter can be re-used to make cookies for instance. What is the ecological impact of almonds? Note that almond trees need a lot of water (4 liter of water needed to cultivate one almond). Almond is therefore not an eco-friendly product. Native to the Middle East, India, and North Africa, most of the current world production comes from California.
Bon Appetit!