Sheila Kealey

Healthy or Hype? Almond Milk

Plant-based milks are becoming more popular. Almond milk is leading the way, and currently dominates the plant-based milk market. Is it as healthy as it sounds?

What is Almond Milk?

Almond milk is made by soaking almonds in water until soft, blending with water to a milk-like consistency, and removing solid particles. It is popular with those looking for a substitute for dairy (vegans, paleo crowd), those who are lactose intolerant, and many others looking for alternatives to dairy. Usually you can find almond milk in plain, vanilla, or chocolate flavors.

The Claims

Most of the health claims for almond milk relate to the low calorie content, low saturated fat content, the benefits of almonds, or the added vitamins and minerals. If you delve deeper into the internet (not recommended!), you’ll find claims from preventing Alzheimer’s (because it has Vitamin D), to improving vision, or increasing muscle growth and healing.

Almond Health Benefits. A growing body of research suggests that almond consumption promotes good health. Almonds are a great source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamin E and important minerals (notably magnesium). Among other benefits, almond consumption has been linked to lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol), increased HDL (“good” cholesterol), lower blood pressure and improved blood sugar control.

Beyond nutrition, many believe almond milk to be more “natural” and “eco-friendly” than cow’s milk.

READ Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

The Evidence

First, a look at the nutrients in almond milk.

Protein. Comparing the protein content of almonds to almond milk is telling: 1 oz of almonds (about 23 almonds) has 6 grams of protein, while 1 cup of almond milk has only 1 gram of protein. That means that 1 cup of almond milk has the equivalent of about 4 almonds, and is mostly filtered water. This is something to consider if you’re drinking almond milk for protein, or to reap the health benefits of almonds! (for comparison, dairy and soy milk have about 8 g protein/cup). Some brands have started to add extra protein (for example, this Silk version has 5 g protein, from pea protein, and added fiber from corn dextrin).

Calories. Almond milk is lower in calories than most other milks (not surprising – it is mostly water and a few almonds). Sweetened varieties are higher in sugar and calories.

Vitamins & Minerals. Unfortified almond milk does not contain a significant amount of vitamins or minerals. Fortified brands add vitamins and minerals (usually vitamins A, D, B2, B12, Calcium, and Zinc), and the amounts will vary by brand.

Fats. Almond milk is relatively low total fat, low in saturated fat, and contains no cholesterol.

This table compares the nutrients in 1 cup of almond milk (unsweetened, original, vanilla) cow’s milk (lowfat, nonfat), and 1 ounce of almonds (about 23 almonds, or 1/4 cup slivered).

Is Almond Milk Eco-Friendly?

Buying a beverage containing mainly filtered water isn’t ecologically friendly. Also, growing almonds is water intensive, and concerns are mounting about the environmental impact of almond consumption. It’s not simple to compare the environmental impact of various milks, but this article provides good food for thought.

READ Healthy or Hype? Coconut Oil

Bottom Line

The term “almond milk” is misleading in terms of nutrition, because it doesn’t contain large amounts of the nutrients in almonds or milk (and technically “milk” should come from a mammary gland). Many of the claims for almond milk relate to the health benefits of consuming almonds: given the meager amount of almonds in almond milk, these health benefits are doubtful. The beneficial nutrients that some almond milks boast on their labels (e.g., high in vitamin E, rich in calcium) are vitamins and minerals added during processing.

Almond milk is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which might be better for health than most varieties of cow’s milk (except nonfat), although it’s possible that dairy fat is not as harmful as once thought for certain conditions, but more research is needed to figure out the influence of dairy fats on health.

The low calorie content of almond milk might benefit those who are limiting their calorie intake. But while lower in calories, keep in mind that almond milk has fewer naturally occurring nutrients and much less protein than dairy or soy milk.

If you like the taste of almond milk, it is fine to use, but don’t consume it for the heath benefits of almonds, protein content, or low ecological footprint. Unsweetened varieties are your best best, and check labels if you are concerned about specific nutrients.

Almond milk is not suitable for infants, as noted in this study, because of the lack of calories, protein, vitamin, and minerals.

Other Foods in the Healthy or Hype Series . . .

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Gatineau Loppet Weekend – My Strangest Race Ever!

This was my strangest Gatineau Loppet race ever, which is something, because I’ve competed in this event many times (so many, in fact, that they’ve honored me as their first “legend,” in part because of my loyal participation . . . ).

If you’re not familiar with the race, the Gatineau Loppet is the biggest cross-country ski race in Canada. This year marked the 37th running of the event, and attracted skiers from 20 different countries, including some speedy skiers from China.

51 km Classic Race

The signature competitive event this year was the 51 km Classic race, which would serve as the Canadian Long Distance Loppet Championship. The course featured a fun point-to-point format that had skiers traveling from Wakefield to Gatineau. Here is the course map.

Athletes were bused to the start of the event, which adds some anxiety (there’s not much time to warm up, or to figure out if you have the right grip wax for the conditions), but also to the fun: I sat beside an Estonian who spoke no English, and I spoke no Estonian, but we managed to converse in “ski language” for the 40-minute bus ride.

Several of my XC Ottawa teammates were competing as well.

Teammates certainly make the race more fun!

A Surprise at the Start

After getting off the bus, we had a bit of a surprise. It had snowed so much overnight that it was actually hard to discern any tracks in the start area or race trail, since they were all snow filled! I didn’t really mind (different conditions can change things up in interesting ways!) and the new snow did make things pretty spectacular. A quick test of my skis revealed that I had great grip and glide.

Gloppet Start (640x478) — The start of the Men’s A Wave (Gatineau Loppet Photo).

Fun with Traffic Jams & Bumper Cars

The elite women’s field started 1 minute after the men’s A wave of about 90 racers. We started to catch the slower skiers of the A wave after only a few minutes (I didn’t worry, because this happened last year as well). It was tricky skiing, because there was only a single lane of skier-groomed trail, and passing meant going out into deep snow, which uses a lot of energy. After about 7 km of zigzagging, we had actually made it up towards the front of the pack with the elite men, who were breaking trail for all racers. I was skiing with my teammates Megan and Ingrid, and Hongxue Li of China (she’s fast – Hongxue was 22nd at the 30km distance at the Sochi Olympics!). At the 10km mark as we went over the timing mats, Megan and I joked that we were leading the race, since we left 1 minute behind the men. (Actually, the eventual leader at 10 km was a skier from the D wave that left about 6 minutes after the A wave, benefiting from the slow pace of the leaders, and the skiers grooming the trail ahead).

Trail36_musicianonskis (640x474) — Trail 36 – one of the beautiful trails we skied on (we had single tracks though!). Photo by Jo-Ann Holden.

At this point it was obvious that it made no sense to expend energy to pass, so we all just settled into a single line of racers, and skied at a very pleasant pace through the beautiful scenery until about the 20 km mark. I was actually enjoying myself and the relaxed pace quite a bit, and thought how unique it was to be able to ski so close to my male teammates, and chat with eventual race winner Ian Murray (who double poled the entire 51 km), my Estonian buddy from the bus, and race favourite (bib # 1) Sebastian Townsend.

There was a lot of stop-and-start action because of the rolling trails: it was like rush-hour traffic or bumper cars, and at the bottom of every small downhill, skiers would crash into one-another, come to a stop, and then scramble up the next uphill. It was actually pretty comical and entertaining, but I realized the entire race might not all be this pleasant.

Things Get Tough

I had a great nutrition plan, but was having problems executing it – it’s hard to eat and drink in a tight line of skiers with a single track! I was looking forward to my first XC Ottawa feed (eload bottle and gel), but missed it since we were all unexpectedly bunched together. Things started to speed up and spread out at about 25km. I was skiing with China’s Li, and she put a nice gap on me on an uphill. After O’Brien (30 km) the real climbing starts, and I felt pretty terrible! I finally took the time to have a gel, which kicked in after the seemingly neverending Fortune climb.

Climbing up Fortune Parkway (Photo by Dave McMahon)

My typical experience in distance races is to feel stronger as the race goes on – but I guess this longer than anticipated race time and poor early nutrition was taking it’s toll. So I didn’t hesitate to down any gels I had on me and stop at all remaining feed stations: the sugar and any men I could latch onto helped bring my body and mind to the finish. The conditions meant that the race was about 1 hour slower than anticipated – and it was pretty tough going, since most of the parkways were also deep snow. I ended up 2nd behind Hongxue, and Canadian Distance Loppet Champion.

51 km podium with LiHongxue and my XC Ottawa teammate Ingrid Hagberg (Gatineau Loppet Photo) — Frosty 51 km podium with Li Hongxue and my XC Ottawa teammate Ingrid Hagberg (Gatineau Loppet Photo)

27 km Freestyle Race

Sunday I raced the 27km freestyle event. I’ve done back-to-back loppet races twice before, and I never expect much out of the 2nd event. I’ll be racing a 30km skate event at Canadian Nationals in March at the end of a week of racing, and also thought racing with a tired body (and mind!) might be good preparation for that.

The cold weather forced organizers to shorten the race to 22 km. Taking windchill into account, apparently Ottawa was the coldest capital on the planet over the weekend. The Start/Finish area of the freestyle events is on a very windy open field, which was not that inviting. Many racers (including myself) postponed the inevitable, waiting in the warm indoors until the last-minute to go out to the start area. So I didn’t really warm up properly for the event.

A sluggish body, no warmup, and cold temperatures isn’t a optimal combination for a good race start (a good warmup is still important in Loppets, because the start can be very fast). Getting out quickly means you can ski in a pack with fast skiers, which is a definite advantage on windy fields and parkways, much like cycling. As anticipated, my start wasn’t great (and a skier fell in front of me), but I did start to eventually feel better on the first climb in the woods, at about 7 km. I ended up finishing 2nd woman, behind China’s DanDan Man. All in all, it was a tough but good weekend of racing.

Special shout-out to Ian Murray (XC Ottawa alumnus), who raced both days and won both distance events. A big thanks to the many volunteers and Gatineau Loppet organizers, who put on another great event in very challenging conditions. Anyone who was out cheering on these cold days also deserves a medal!

Along with my XC Ottawa teammates, I really appreciated the help of Mike, Nevin, and Mark who helped us with feeds, and Craig Storey, Peter Rozmovits, and John Suuronen who figured out the best wax to use in these conditions.

You’ll find more Racing Updates here.

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This Week in Food, Health, and Fitness

This week, read about the Food Babe, the war on wheat, selling the fantasy of high protein everything, impressive graphics of vaccine effectiveness, training your brain to run faster, a scandalously bad article on HPV vaccines, and more.

The Food Babe Way is Out!

Unfortunately this book gives Vani Hari (aka the “Food Babe”) another platform to preach misleading health and medical advice.

Why is she so popular, and why would anyone follow her advice? Hari has a poor grasp of science, and doesn’t understand peer-reviewed research or intricacies of the chemicals she vilifies. BUT . . . she preys on people’s fears, is good at marketing, and certainly knows how to work social media. Unfortunately Hari’s influence in growing, as she exploits the scientific ignorance of her web activist group of “Food Babe Army” followers.

Hari’s campaign to eat and live fresh, natural, and chemical-free does sound appealing and health promoting. Glaring problems are that she distorts facts, and misleads her followers by putting all chemicals on the same platform.

Chemicals can be confusing! But don’t let uninformed people like the Food Babe explain them to you. Sense About Science produced this excellent guide that looks at common misconceptions about what chemicals are and what they do. Here is one of their graphics that illustrates a basic but very important concept that eludes the Food Babe.

DoseMakesPoison2

More about the Food Babe:

The Food Babe: “There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever”. Good article, and worthwhile comments too! (Science Blogs)
Quackmail: Why You Shouldn’t Fall For The Internet’s Newest Fool, The Food Babe (Trevor Butterworth, Forbes)
Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of food (David Gorski, Science-Based Medicine)
Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out. (NPR Health)
The Food Babe is Anything but an Expert on Food Matters (Joe Schwarcz, Montreal Gazette)
Lies in the Food Babe Way (Kavin Senapathy)

The War on Wheat

Tune into CBC’s Fifth Estate on February 20th, to see reporter Mike Kelly investigate the anti-wheat fad. He’ll be interviewing several experts, including Yoni Freedhoff, Timothy Caufield, and McGill’s Joe Schwartz.

Selling the Fantasy of High Protein Everything

A look at Fairlife, Coca-Cola’s new hyper-fortified milk. Fairlife has 50% more protein, 50% less sugar and 30% more calcium than typical milk, and is lactose free. The Atlantic article notes how Coke is relying on these two food trends to sell Fairlife: (1) people think they need more protein; and (2) many people think they are intolerant to some food components (e.g., lactore, gluten). Although recent research has helped us learn more about protein’s role in weight loss and muscle synthesis, the truth is that most people are getting more than enough protein in their overall diets, and consuming more than they need likely won’t yield health benefits. (The Atlantic)

Although it’s true that most people get enough protein, some groups (e.g. the elderly, athletes) may need more protein, and a product like this might be useful for them (if they don’t mind paying twice as much as regular milk!). For example, protein distribution throughout the day is important, and many people lack protein at breakfast: swapping this milk for regular milk might help reach a higher protein intake for this meal. Of course, you don’t need special milk to boost your protein. Have a look at these common foods, that will help you meet your protein needs (if you’re unsure of your protein needs, read this article).

3 Ingredient Maple Granola

Not only is this granola quick and easy to make, it’s a lot more healthful than store-bought granolas and most home-made varieties, which can be very high in calories and sugar.

This granola is really good in this yogurt berry parfait with almonds, where combined with greek yogurt, berries, and almonds it produces a dish that’s a great post-workout snack, breakfast, or dessert. You can see me making the recipe here.

One trick I used in this granola is replacing oil with a nut butter (peanut butter in this case), but tahini (also called sesame butter) is equally delicious, as is almond butter. When you think of it, oils are quite refined (nuts or seeds with fiber and other nutrients processed out of them). So when it’s possible to substitute, it’s a good idea: using a nut or seed butter increases the fiber, protein, and minerals substantially (see Table in Nutrition Notes).

Although healthier than most granolas, this combination of foods is still quite dense and high in calories, so be mindful of portion size. A few tablespoons on top of plain yogurt and berries is delicious! If your having the granola as a breakfast cereal, consider lightening it up by mixing with a lighter/low sugar cereal (whole grain flakes are a good companion for the granola).

Ingredients

1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 cups old fashioned oats

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place peanut butter and maple syrup a large microwave-save bowl. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds (mixture should be runny). Remove from microwave, add oats, and stir until oats are well coated.
Spread oat mixture onto a large pan (about 9.5″ X 13″) and bake for about 15 minutes*, stirring once at about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

* check at 12 minutes to make sure oats aren’t browning too much (this might vary depending on your sweetener and pan type); using a glass dish, 15 minutes worked well for maple syrup; 12 minutes was all the granola needed when made with honey.

Makes SIX 1/2-cup servings

Variations

Use a different nut or seed butter instead of peanut butter (tahini is wonderful, almond butter also works well)
Try a different liquid sweeter (honey works well->taste is a bit sweeter)
Add nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to the granola after baking

Nutrition Notes

Oats are well-know for their cholesterol lowering properties, and recent research shows that they contain antioxidant compounds called avenanthramides that help decrease chronic inflammation that can lead to disease.
Peanuts are technically a legume, but their nutritional profile is similar to other nuts. They are a decent source of protein (about 7 g per 2 tbsp peanut butter), and are a good source of resveratrol, an antioxidant being studied for a variety of health benefits, including protecting against heart disease. Although some people consider nuts fattening, research has shown that added to a healthy diet they do not promote weight gain, and have many health benefits, including reducing heart disease risk. Peanuts and peanut butter might also help control blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to this study in women. And another study suggested that replacing a serving of red meat with a serving of nuts would decrease type 2 diabetes risk by 21%.

This table shows that nuts and seeds provide more nutrients than oils.

Nutrition Per Serving

250 calories
7 g protein
38 g carbohydrate
8 g fat
0 mg cholesterol
5 g fiber
36 mg sodium
167 mg potassium

Watch me make the granola and talk about recipes for runners on CTV Morning Live.

More Recipes Featuring Oats

You’ll find more healthy recipes here.
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Sheila Kealey

Healthy or Hype? Almond Milk

What is Almond Milk?

The Claims