Often a full-fledged alternative to milk
Can’t or don’t you want to drink cow’s milk? You used to have to rely on soy milk. But today there is much more choice in plant-based milk replacements. Drinks of hazelnut or almond, for example.
Plant-based and vegan food is popular. More and more people are therefore looking for plant-based alternatives to milk. There are plenty of those these days. Think of soy drinks or grain drinks. Incidentally, these products may not officially be called milk, because they are not of animal origin.
nut milk
Drinks are also made from nuts, such as almonds and hazelnut. By the way, do not expect that you will ingest kilos of nuts with these drinks. Almond milk and hazelnut milk are made from water, to which a nut extract has been added. A pack of almond drink sometimes contains only 2 percent almonds and at most 7 or 8 percent almonds.
It is also important to look at the ingredients list. It may sound very pure, such a vegetable drink, but in terms of ingredients these drinks are more ‘artificial’ than cow’s milk. Although they do not contain artificial fragrances, colors and flavors, they do contain emulsifiers, stabilizers and acidity regulators, for example. The nut drink also almost always contains sugar or another sweetener, such as agave syrup or maltodextrin. Do you want it really pure? You can also make nut drinks yourself, for example from almonds, hazelnut, but also walnuts, sesame seeds or a mix of nuts and seeds. You can add some dates for the sweet taste.
The nutritional value
Nuts are very healthy. They are rich in protein, fiber, unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Nut drinks usually contain fewer calories than semi-skimmed milk, and they also score lower in saturated fat. The protein content of nut drinks is usually slightly lower, depending on how many nuts are used for the drink. Furthermore, nut drinks naturally contain a small amount of fiber and are lactose-free. Would you like to use nut milk instead of cow’s milk? Check whether calcium and vitamins (B2, B12 and D) have been added. That makes such a thirst quencher a real substitute for cow’s milk.
culinary
Of course, nut drink tastes different from cow’s milk. The taste is sweet and nutty. It combines wonderfully with flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon, fruit and chocolate. For example, make rice pudding from almond drink with vanilla, bake pancakes or make a smoothie from hazelnut drink with blackberries or blueberries. You can of course also drink nut drink straight from the pack, or add it to the coffee.
hip!
Nut milks and other plant-based drinks are very hip. They fit in perfectly with the trend of consciously opting for a more plant-based lifestyle, both for health and sustainability. Vegetable products are usually less harmful to the environment than animal products. It takes less water and land to produce them. There are already restaurants and coffee bars where you can choose between plant-based drinks or milk for coffee. And that’s the nice thing about this trend: it only increases the choice and variety in your diet.
Nutritional value per 150 ml
(Double click to enlarge)
(Source: Eetmeter, Alpro soya, Provamel and Lima)
