If you are lactose-intolerant, vegan, or just not a fan of dairy, then you have probably bought almond milk at some point in your life. But have you ever stopped to wonder if it is actually a good product? If you want to know why almond milk may not be the great cow’s milk alternative that we have been told that it is, then you should keep on reading. You can also check out my YouTube video on the same topic here.
Almond milk may seem like a superior beverage, but it really isn't. Let's explore why.
Introduction
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), here in the United States we consume 141 pounds of milk per capita every year. However, intake of dairy milk appears to be falling as consumers move towards plant milks. Almond milk takes up the lion’s share of the plant milk market with 64% of the market share; soy milk holds 13%, while coconut milk dominates 12%. Market researchers have estimated that the global almond milk market is valued at $5.2 billion dollars, and it is expected to continue growing. However, this movement towards almond milk may have some drawbacks, and I will address three of them in this article.
Before I continue, I want you to know that my goal here is not to persuade you to throw away your almond milk and start drinking cow’s milk. Full disclosure: I am not a shill for Big Dairy, and I personally do not buy cow’s milk. My body is much happier when I give it flax milk or soy milk. The point of this article is to highlight the reasons why almond milk is not the best replacement nutrition-wise for cow’s milk. With this knowledge, it is my hope that you can make your own decision about what type of milk is best for you. Alright, now onto the information that you came for:
There are three reasons why almond milk is not the best replacement for cow’s milk:
1. It is devoid of protein.
2. It is low in anti-inflammatory fats.
3. Its environmental impact is questionable.
Topic 1: It is low in protein
Almond milk is devoid of protein. For comparison, cow’s milk provides about 8 grams of protein per 1 cup serving. On the other hand, almond milk from popular brands like Blue Diamond, Silk, and Califia farms have less than 1 gram of protein per cup. As a protein source, almond milk is a poor substitute for cow’s milk.
Why does this matter, you ask?
Well, the lower protein content of almond milk may make it less satiating or satisfying than cow’s milk. This is because when we consume protein, it triggers a hormonal response that signals our brain to let it know that we have had enough to eat. This satiation response includes an uptick in the secretion of satiety hormones such as gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CCK), and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY). It also includes a reduction in hormones that promote hunger, such as ghrelin.
Food affects brain chemistry, so when you eat unbalanced meals, your whole central processing system can end up out of whack.
The benefits of eating enough protein with each meal don’t stop there - protein also has a higher thermic effect compared to other macronutrients, so our bodies use up more energy to break it down. Yet another benefit of protein is that it can help to improve the balance of glucose levels in the blood throughout the day.
All of this talk of hormones and thermic effects can be summarized into one simple idea: eating enough protein keeps you satiated, while low protein foods have the opposite effect. Feeling satiated after you eat is important because when we do not feel satisfied after a meal, we are more likely to consume more calories that our bodies need, and this can result in unwanted weight gain and other cardiometabolic problems.
A real photo of a person who is hungry for some protein.
The low protein content of almond milk may also not be ideal for growing children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that from 12 months to 24 months, children consume 2-3 cups of whole milk per day, while children 2-5 years should have the same quantity of milk each day, but switch to the skim or low-fat version.
Toddlers need around 13 grams of protein per day, so milk can represent a pretty significant portion of their daily protein intake.
Topic 2: It is low in anti-inflammatory fats
Almond milk has about 3 grams of fat per 1 cup serving. For comparison, a handful of almonds (about 23 nuts) provides 14 grams of fat. While you might think that less fat is a good thing, this is actually a con because almonds contain the type of fat that you want to be eating more of. Over 60% of the fat in almonds are monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to protect against heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cognitive decline.
Fat, like protein, also promotes satiation, so this lower fat content could in theory lead to you feeling less satisfied after your meal and send you running back to the refrigerator for more food. The low protein and fat content of almond milk is due in part to the fact that almond milk is only about 2% almonds. Now, this is not a dig to almond milk producers. Pretty much any type of milk that you can find, including cow’s milk, contains about 90% water. After all, how else would they turn nuts into a milky beverage? By milking them?
Nevertheless, it is important to understand that this means that you are getting a much smaller dose of nutrition from a cup of almond milk than you would get from a handful of almonds. Take a look at this chart:
Almond Milk versus Almonds
Nutrient | 1 Cup of Almond Milk | 1 Ounce of Almonds |
Protein (grams) | 1 | 6 |
Monounsaturated fat (grams) | 1.5 | 14 |
Calories | 60 | 164 |
Fiber (grams) | <1 | 3.5 |
Calcium (milligrams) | 450 | 76 |
I’m using Blue Diamond almond milk as the reference, since this brand is the most popular among almond milk drinkers. As you can see, a single serving of almonds provides much more fiber, protein, monounsaturated fat - and consequently calories - than a single serving of almond milk. You would need to drink 6 cups of almond milk to get the same amount of protein that you would get from a handful of almonds. One positive thing to note is that many brands of almond milk do fortify their products with calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients, so there is some nutritional benefit to consuming these products.
Topic 3: It’s impact on the environment is questionable
This is a topic that I wanted to touch on because there seems to be as many articles for as there are against the claim that almonds are basically sucking up all of the water in California. So, let’s see what the data actually says.
To start off, 80% of almonds grown in the world are grown in California. This is partly due to the fact that the California Central Valley provides an ideal growing environment for almonds. As with anything in life, there are some potential drawbacks to this. According to this article published in August 2021 on npr.org, climate change may be exacerbating California’s already prevalent droughts and creating a situation where residents of the Golden State will one day need to choose between no longer supplying the majority of the world’s almonds, or learning to live with a lot less water.
California: the land of celebrities, awesome hikes, and most of the world's almonds.
The situation has gotten so bad that farmers are resorting to “deficit irrigation” – this means that they are giving their orchards less water than they need to thrive, and in some cases abandoning altogether the farmland that they spent years cultivating. Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in California and one of the main sources of water for the Central Valley, is below 50% capacity based on historical records, and there are no clear signs of things getting better.
You may be asking yourself why a tiny nut is being roped into all of this climate change talk. Well, this is because cultivating almonds is a water-intensive process. Is this enough to cause water supply issues for the state of California? Well, it depends on who you ask.
The California Water Impact Network or C-WIN takes the position that almonds, which are estimated to account for 10% of the entire state’s yearly agricultural water use, may not be worth growing in current numbers. Almonds and other nuts require large amounts of water year-round and cannot be “fallowed” or basically put on hold during dry seasons – otherwise they die. Even during droughts in California, nut growers have not been shy about pushing to ensure that they still get the water that they need to make big profits. According to the board director of C-WIN Tom Stokely, “If we’re conserving in the cities so that they can grow more almonds, it’s simply not fair because it’s not benefiting the majority of Californians.”
On the other hand, the Almond Board argues that these claims are exaggerated as almonds use almost the same amount of water as other crops. Furthermore, their research suggests that farmers have successfully reduced the amount of water needed to grow almonds by 33% since 1994, and they are continuing to invest in more efficient irrigation techniques.
A 2019 research article in Ecological Indicators provides evidence that almonds have a water footprint of about 12 liters or a little over 3 gallons per kernel. The authors point out that this increase from previous estimates may be associated with increasing temperatures, drought, and the ever-expanding acreage of almond orchards. They concluded that almonds are indeed a water-intensive crop, but this extra water use is balanced out by its high nutritional value and economic significance.
Many farmers are moving away from less profitable crops towards almonds in order to make more money, and who can blame them? From a nutritional standpoint, almonds really are great for health. Nevertheless, there are other nutrient-dense foods like spinach and raspberries which use less than half the amount of water that almonds and other nuts do. Given the unique nutritional profile of nuts however, is it still worthwhile to keep producing more and more of them?
There is also the bigger question of: is this an almond issue, or a climate change issue that goes way beyond almond production?
What do you think?
Conclusion
Almonds are marketed as a nutritious alternative to cow’s milk, but it is important to recognize that these two beverages are very different from one another. Almond milk is relatively low in fat and protein, and this may make it less satiating than cow’s milk. For growing children, it is best to choose a milk option that is rich in protein. The impact on the environment of the growing demand for almonds across countries may be contributing to California’s water supply problem. However, the true magnitude of the contribution of almonds to the bigger problem of climate change remains to determined.
If you learned anything new or think that someone you care about could benefit from this information, share this article, and subscribe to the blog for regular updates on commonly asked nutrition questions.
Enjoy today!
References:
Almond Board of California. (2021). Addressing Ongoing Myths About Almonds and the California Drought. Www.almonds.com. https://www.almonds.com/why-almonds/almond-living-magazine/addressing-ongoing-myths-about-almonds-and-california-drought
Associated Press. (2021, August 17). Climate Change In California Is Threatening The World’s Top Almond Producer. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2021/08/17/1028452988/climate-change-california-drought-heat-almond-production
Blue Diamond. (2022). Almondmilk Original Milk Alternative Almond Breeze. Www.bluediamond.com. https://www.bluediamond.com/brand/almond-breeze/almondmilk/original
Collard, K. M., & McCormick, D. P. (2021). A Nutritional Comparison of Cow's Milk and Alternative Milk Products. Academic Pediatrics, 21(6), 1067-1069. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.12.007
Fulton, J., Norton, M., & Shilling, F. (2019). Water-indexed benefits and impacts of California almonds. Ecological Indicators, 96, 711-717. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.12.063
Grand View Research. (2019, May). Almond Milk Market Size, Share: Global Industry Report, 2019-2025. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from Grandviewresearch.com website: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/almond-milk-market
Mintel News. (2018, January 4). US non-dairy milk sales grow 61% over the last five years. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from Mintel website: https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/us-non-dairy-milk-sales-grow-61-over-the-last-five-years
Morell, P., & Fiszman, S. (2017). Revisiting the role of protein-induced satiation and satiety. Food Hydrocolloids, 68, 199-210. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.08.003
Muth, N. (2019). Recommended Drinks for Young Children Ages 0-5. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Recommended-Drinks-for-Young-Children-Ages-0-5.aspx
NASA Earth Observatory. (2021, June 17). California Reservoirs Reflect Deepening Drought. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from earthobservatory.nasa.gov website: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148447/california-reservoirs-reflect-deepening-drought#:~:text=Just%20four%20years%20after%20emerging
Pesta, D. H., & Samuel, V. T. (2014). A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutrition & metabolism, 11(1), 53-53. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-11-53
Philpott, T., & Lurie, J. (2015, December 31). Here’s the Real Problem With Almonds. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from California Water Impact Network website: https://www.c-win.org/blog/2015/12/31/heres-the-real-problem-with-almonds
Sheashea, M., Xiao, J., & Farag, M. A. (2021). MUFA in metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors: is MUFA the opposite side of the PUFA coin? Food Funct. doi:10.1039/d1fo00979f
Statista. (2021, May 17). Leading U.S. almond milk brands dollar sales, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from Statista website: https://www.statista.com/statistics/372461/leading-us-rtd-almond-milk-brands-based-on-dollar-sales/
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2018). USDA ERS - Dairy Data. Usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/dairy-data/
United States Department of Agriculture Food Data Central. (2022). Almonds. Fdc.nal.usda.gov. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170567/nutrients
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Watson, E. (2015, July 21). Almond Breeze almond milk only contains 2% almonds, claims false advertising lawsuit. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from foodnavigator-usa.com website: https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2015/07/22/Almond-milk-only-contains-2-almonds-claims-lawsuit-v-Blue-Diamond
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