6 Major Substitutes Of Almond Milk You Can Try

Milk is a complete food as it contains nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, potassium, and other essential compounds. Since our childhood, we are advised to drink milk but not everyone can enjoy these benefits. In some individuals, their small intestines don’t produce enough lactase, an enzyme responsible for the digestion of lactose (milk sugar) and this causes lactose intolerance.

Also, those who have adopted a vegan lifestyle don’t consume any product obtained from any animal in any form.Almond milk is a good alternative for such individuals, and also for those who don’t like consuming dairy milk as a matter of choice.Although almond milk is good plant-based milk that can be used in place of dairy milk, it is better to keep other options in mind.

# Coconut milk

Coconut milk is one of the best almond milk substitutes. It is being used for cooking and baking, and also as a coffee creamer because of its thick and creamy texture ( in moderation though as they are high in saturated fats and calories).

Coconut milk is made from the water and white flesh of the brown coconuts. It is very suitable for those who want to reduce their carb intake as it has almost no carbohydrate. It has half of the calories in comparison to the cow’s milk and its protein content is also less.

About 90 percent of the coconut milk’s calories come from saturated fat, including the one known as medium-chain triglycerides which are known for reducing appetite, for assisting weight loss and for improving blood cholesterol level. This makes it suitable for people with obesity.

# Cashew Milk

Cashew milk is another substitute for almond milk and has a nutty flavor. It is made from a mixture of cashew nuts or cashew butter with water.

Because of it’s rich and creamy texture, and the sweet and subtle nutty flavor it has made its position in the kitchen as it is being used for thickening smoothies, as a coffee creamer, and even in desserts.

Drinking one cup ( 240 ml) of unsweetened cashew milk provides 25-50 calories of energy with very low fat ( 2-4 grams) and almost no protein (0-1 gram protein) or carbohydrates(1-2 grams).This milk is not an ideal choice for those who have a high protein requirement. They can go with soya milk or oat milk.

# Soy milk

Another substitute for almond milk is soy milk. It is high in protein and low in saturated fat, and is made from soybeans, water, sugar, added flavoring.Sometimes artificial thickeners and vegetable oils are also added to improve the consistency and flavor of the soy milk.

Drinking one cup (240 ml) of unsweetened soy milk provides 80-90 calories of energy along with 4-4.5 grams of fat, 7 to 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbohydrates.In terms of nutritional value, it is very close to cow milk with added benefits ( half calories in comparison to cow milk as well as reduced fat and carbohydrates level).

# Rice milk

Next in our list is Rice milk, which is made from milled white rice or brown rice, and water. Like other non-dairy milk, thickeners are added to the rice milk for enhancing taste and texture.The enhance texture and the taste makes it suitable for use in desserts and oatmeal.

In terms of nutritional value, it is similar to that of cow milk as one cup (240 ml) of rice milk provides around 130-140 calories of energy along with 2-3 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and about 27-38 grams of carbohydrates. The carbohydrate level in rice milk is almost twice the cow’s milk.

Rice milk has the least amount of allergens and this makes it suitable for the people with nuts allergy and even for those who have an intolerance to dairy, gluten or soy.

# Oat milk

Oat milk is another excellent substitute for almond milk which you can easily make at home and is super cheap in comparison to almond milk.

In general, oat milk is made from a mixture of soaked oats and water. However, it is common for manufacturers to add gums, oils, and salt to the mixture to get the desired taste and texture. These added ingredients are what give it a creamy texture to make smoothies creamier.

Oat milk has a sweet and mild flavor and can be used just like cow’s milk, along with the cereal or in smoothies.

# Hazelnut milk

Hazelnut milk is also a good alternative to almond milk. It has a similar texture to almond milk and is used in desserts and smoothies.

It is known to improve cognitive functions due to the presence of vitamin E and folate in it. The thiamine and the manganese present in the hazelnut milk improve metabolism and thus helps with the weight loss.

The dietary fibers in the hazelnut also a significant role in maintaining our digestive health as it helps and other digestive problems such as abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, gas and bloating, etc.