Alexandra Osellame - Bayleaf Clinical Nutritionist - BHSc(Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine)
So many people are now making the switch from cow’s milk to almond milk or another sort of non-dairy milk. However, the issue with almond milk and other non-dairy milk, is that so many big food companies are jumping on board with this whole dairy-free concept and there are now A LOT of options when it comes to dairy-free milk. So, it can be quite tricky to know what is a good one and what is not
So, what to look for when buying almond milk
1. Choose unsweetened and plain varieties
Sweetened and flavoured almon milks contains high amounts of added sugar. The first ingredient on these products can be sugar, and it can be as much as 1 tablespoon per cup serving.
2. Avoid Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a thicker manufactured from red algae seaweed and is widely used in processed foods. Though carrageenan is listed as “generally regarded as safe food additive” by the FDA and WHO, there is growing research that links carrageenan to inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as bloating and abdominal pain
3. Avoid high sodium
Sodium, from salt and other food additives, can be found in almond any processed food. Almond milk is no exception. Salt to often added to enhance the flavour of a nut milk. Additionally, gums and thickens added to improve the texture of almond milk contain sodium
Look for these brands listed below at your local Coles, Woolworths and Health food shops
- Inside out unsweetened almon milk
- Almo unsweetened almon milk
- Pure Harvest organic activated almon milk (unsweetened)
- Pacific foods organic unsweetened almon milk
- Natures own organic unsweetened almond mik