Almond Milk

Since switching to a dairy-free diet, almond milk is a must in my kitchen. Whether I’m using it for baking, in my breakfast, or to make delicious milk-based hot beverages, my almond milk is never far away! While you can buy almond milk at your grocery or health food store, these options aren’t really the healthiest route to take. While they may be dairy-free, they also often contain a substance called carrageenan (and some are even loaded with sugar!)

So what is carrageenan exactly? It’s a substance extracted from a red algae that is used to thicken different foods, including almond milk. While it acts as a thickening agent to give the milk a creamy texture, there are some unfortunate risks to consuming this substance. Carrageenan is known for the inflammatory affects it has on the body. Inflammation is the root cause of many health conditions, including arthritis, gastrointestinal distress, mental illness and immune disorders – to name a few.

Why not leave the carrageenan on the store shelf and give my homemade almond milk a whirl instead? Here is the recipe:

Yield: 2 litres almond milk

Prep time: overnight, plus 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds, soaked overnight

8 cups water

2 teaspoons raw honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Rinse soaked almonds.

2. Blend soaked almonds, water, honey and vanilla extract until smooth. (You may have to do this in batches according to the size of your blender.)

3. Pour almond liquid through milk bag* over a bowl. Then, squeeze and press almond pulp in milk bag to get as much milk as possible. Store in a mason jar for up to 4 days.

*You can get a milk bag a health food store, or online. I like this milk bag, which I found on Amazon. Check it out here.

Sources:

"Carrageenan Dangers - Carrageenan Safety | Dr. Weil." Carrageenan Dangers - Carrageenan Safety | Dr. Weil. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.

"What Is Carrageenan? Is It Dangerous?" Dr Axe. N.p., 2015. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.