Almond milk is great for you but can be intimidating to make. Don't stress! We have step-by-step instructions for this delish DIY recipe!
Milk: it does the body good, right? Like many of you, I grew up on the notion that milk is a vital part of a balanced diet. Want healthy teeth? Drink milk. Want to be stronger? Drink milk. Contrary to popular belief, milk isn’t exactly the bone-saving, disease-preventing superfood we once thought it was.
“Clinical research shows that consuming dairy can lead to many health issues including inflammation causing chronic digestive problems and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” says Shelli Brar, a registered holistic nutritionist in-training and health blogger of Zen Health Love. “South Asians are often raised on a diet rich in dairy. By replacing cow’s milk with an alternative such as almond milk, it can lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.”
Almond milk is a great substitution for cow’s milk. While it may not offer as much calcium, it contains 25 per cent of your daily vitamin D intake and 30 per cent of your daily calcium intake. “Almond milk has no cholesterol and a low dose of sodium, making it good for the heart,” says Brar. Not only can almond milk help reduce the risk of heart disease in adults, but it’s a great replacement for the typical milk and cookies kids love to devour. The best thing about it is that you can make it at home in less than 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- Nut milk bag (such as this one or this one)
- Large bowl
- Air-tight container for storing the milk after it’s prepared
- 1 cup of raw almonds
- 4 cups of filtered water (per 1 cup of almonds)
- 1 to 2 pitted Mejdool dates (to give the almond milk a sweeter taste), optional
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (helps bring out flavours), optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, alcohol-free (great for making flavoured almond milk), optional
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder (great for making chocolate almond milk), optional
Method
1. Soak raw almonds in a bowl of filtered water for at least 12 hours (I leave them overnight).
Photo Credit: NK Photography
3. In a blender, combine 1 cup of almonds, 4 cups of filtered water and any optional ingredients listed above. Blend for a few minutes on high until you get a creamy, milk-like consistency.
(L-R) Salt, vanilla extract and Medjool dates.
Photo Credit: NK Photography
Ingredients combined in blender.
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Blending for 2 minutes.
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Post-blending.
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Photo Credit: NK Photography
Filtering milk from blender through nut milk bag.
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Remains from nut milk bag.
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Voila …enjoy!
Photo Credit: NK Photography
Main Image Photo Credit: NK Photography
Kiki Khosla
Author
Digital darling Kiki Khosla is a Toronto-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger hoping to inspire others through her personal style and creative ingenuity. Hailing from the world and runway and print this style-savvy journalist embodies a chic, sophisticated look for the modern gal.