Almond milk facts for kids
 |
|||||||
| 15 kcal (63 kJ) | |||||||
|
|||||||
Almond milk is a creamy, nutty drink made from almonds. It's a type of plant milk, meaning it comes from plants, not animals. Some almond milk tastes like regular dairy milk, while others have different flavors.
Many people choose almond milk because it doesn't have cholesterol, saturated fat, or lactose. This makes it a great choice for those who can't digest lactose (lactose-intolerant) or for vegans who don't eat or drink dairy products.
You can find almond milk in stores in many flavors, like sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate. Often, it has extra micronutrients added to make it even healthier. You can also easily make it at home with just almonds, water, and a blender.
Almond milk has become very popular. In the United States, it became more popular than soy milk in 2013. By 2014, it made up two-thirds of all plant milk sales there! In the United Kingdom, sales also grew a lot between 2011 and 2013.
Contents
The History of Almond Milk
Almond milk has been around for a very long time! People in the Middle Ages knew about it in both the Islamic world and Christendom.
During fasting times, like Lent or Ramadan, many religions don't allow people to eat meat or dairy. Since almonds are a nut, almond milk was a perfect substitute for cow's milk. It was used in many recipes during these times.
For example, in Iranian cuisine, there's a traditional almond milk dessert called harireh badam. It's like an almond gruel and is often eaten during Ramadan.
Almond Milk's Popularity
Almond milk used to be a special health food. But in the early 2000s, it started to become much more popular. In 2011, sales of almond milk went up by 79% in just one year!
By 2013, it was the most popular plant-based milk in the U.S. In 2014, it made up 60% of all plant milk sales. It even made up 4.1% of all milk sales in the US, including dairy milk.
How Almond Milk Helps Your Body
Here's a quick look at what's inside almond milk compared to cow's milk and soy milk:
| Cows' milk (whole, vitamin D added) |
Soy milk (unsweetened; calcium, vitamins A, B12 and D added) |
Almond milk (unsweetened) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories (cup, 243 g) | 149 | 80 | 39 |
| Protein (g) | 7.69 | 6.95 | 1.55 |
| Fat (g) | 7.93 | 3.91 | 2.88 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 4.55 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 11.71 | 4.23 | 1.52 |
| Fibre (g) | 0 | 1.2 | 0 |
| Sugars (g) | 12.32 | 1 | 0 |
| Calcium (mg) | 276 | 301 | 516 |
| Potassium (mg) | 322 | 292 | 176 |
| Sodium (mg) | 105 | 90 | 186 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 1.10 | 2.70 | 0 |
| Vitamin A (IU) | 395 | 503 | 372 |
| Vitamin D (IU) | 124 | 119 | 110 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 24 | 0 | 0 |
Almond milk often has less vitamin D than cow's milk if it's not fortified. In North America, cow's milk must have vitamin D added. But for plant milks, adding vitamins is usually optional.
Because almond milk has less protein, it's not a good substitute for breast milk or cow's milk for babies and young children under two years old.
How Almond Milk is Made
Making almond milk at home is quite simple. You grind almonds in a blender with water. Then, you strain out the almond pulp using a strainer or cheesecloth. You can also make it by adding water to almond butter.
Why People Want More Almond Milk
The demand for almond milk has grown a lot since the early 2000s. This growth uses up about a quarter of all the almonds grown in the U.S. Also, the amount of almonds used for almond butter has tripled since 2011!
Growing Almonds Sustainably
Most almonds in California are grown in the Central Valley. This area has a great climate, rich soil, lots of sunshine, and a good water supply. These conditions are perfect for growing almonds.
However, California has faced long periods of drought in recent years. This makes it harder to grow almonds in a way that protects the environment. Almond trees need a lot of water. For example, one single almond needs about 1.1 gallons of water to grow properly.
To help with this, almond farmers and the Almond Board of California are working on many ways to be more sustainable. These include:
- Taking care of the trees and soil.
- Reducing dust during harvest time.
- Keeping bees healthy, as they help pollinate almond trees.
- Giving farmers advice on how to use water wisely for irrigation.
- Making sure the almonds are safe to eat.
- Using leftover almond parts (biomass) to create other products, aiming for zero waste.
- Using solar energy during processing.
- Creating jobs in the almond industry.
- Supporting scientific research to learn more about the health benefits of almonds.
- Teaching people around the world about sustainable farming practices.
See also
In Spanish: Leche de almendra para niños
