Almond Breeze (review)

It's easy to reach your goal of eating "5 a Day" with a little help from Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze®! Try sneaking those nutritious fruits and vegetables into delicious drinks that the whole family will enjoy, such as Pomegranate Pow and Packs-a-Punch Raspberry-Almond Smoothie!

Almond Breeze® almond milk is bursting with natural nutrients (Vitamin, A, D, & E), and for those sensitive to dairy or soy, almond milk is a wonderfully delicious alternative. Almond Breeze® is available in Original, Vanilla and Chocolate at any Whole Foods or natural foods section in your grocery store. 

Pomegranate Pow

Ingredients

1 cup (8 oz.) Vanilla Almond Breeze®  

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed

1 ripe banana, peeled, sliced and frozen

Preparation

Blend Almond Breeze with remaining ingredients until smooth.

Packs-a-Punch Raspberry-Almond Smoothie

Ingredients

2 cups Almond Breeze® Original 

1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries

2 medium bananas, cut into chunks

2-3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

12 fresh raspberries (optional)

8 whole blanched almonds (optional)

Preparation

Combine Almond Breeze® Original, frozen raspberries, bananas, honey and almond extract in a blender; whirl until smooth. Pour into 4 tall glasses and garnish with fresh raspberries and whole almonds if desired.

For more delightfully nutritious beverage ideas, visit http://www.bluediamond.com/. 

Almond Breeze sent us each of their 6 varieties of Almond Milk!

At first, I was curious as to whether the baby would take this as a substitute for Whole Milk, but she gobbles it up every time I put it in her cup. The flavors are:

• Original
• Chocolate
• & Vanilla

In addition, each of those is available in Sweetened, or Unsweetened!

To my surprise, the baby liked the Unsweetened too!! As you can see (above) you can use this as a substitute in many recipes, same as you would milk!

 

How Almond Milk Compares to Other Nut Milks: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/almond-milk-what-is-it-and-is-it-good-for-you.html

Almond milk contains ground almonds and water. It's a healthy alternative to cow's milk, and contains more vitamins and minerals than soy and rice milks. Many people who've tried almond milk prefer the flavor of almond milk to that of soy and rice milk.

Soy milk contains a lot of protein, but doesn't contain the high levels of vitamins and minerals found in almond milk, so it's often fortified with calcium and vitamin D to bring is nutritional quality more on a level with fortified cow's milk. 

Because almonds are naturally very nutritious, almond milk doesn't need to be fortified.

Benefits of Almond Milk

Almond milk is great for those who are lactose intolerant, because it doesn't contain any lactose. Almond milk also contains no soy, so it's good for those who suffer from soy allergies. Because almond milk doesn't contain casein, a milk protein that's chemically similar to gluten, almond milk is appropriate for those who suffer from gluten allergies.

Nutritional Value of Almond Milk

Almond milk is one of the most nutritious milk substitutes available. It doesn't contain saturated fats or cholesterol, but it does contain omega-3 fatty acids, so it's very good for your heart. Almond milk is high in protein; the typical eight ounce serving of almond milk contains about one gram of protein. One serving of almond milk also contains about one gram of dietary fiber.

Almond milk is very low in calories; it contains only about 40 calories per serving, and it's low in carbs at only two grams per serving. Almond milk contains about three grams of fat per eight ounce serving, making its fat content equivalent to that of rice milk.

Almonds are rich in vitamins and minerals, so almond milk doesn't need to be fortified. Almonds contain vitamin E, manganese, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fiber, phosphorous and calcium. The flavonoids in almond milk help prevent cancer and slow the signs of aging. The high levels of antioxidant vitamin E found in almond milk make it very effective in the prevention of cancer.

*Disclaimer*  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Your experience with the product may differ from mine.