Almond milk is a plant-based product that imitates dairy milk but contains fewer calories and is a healthier option and substitute for dairy-based milk.
It also has been proven through professional surveys to taste better than dairy milk and also offer more nutritional value than dairy milk. Experts and nutritionists believe that almond milk is more nutritionally balanced than most kinds of milk.
Despite these comparative strengths does almond milk last longer? Let’s find out
The Benefits Of Taking Almond Milk
Almond milk has quickly become popular in several parts of the world, it is the largest selling plant-based milk and is particularly embraced for its taste and nutritional value/benefits.
It easily occupies 63% of the plant-based market with oat milk coming second. It has not gained as much popularity in Nigeria as it has abroad, but the nutritional benefits mentioned below should convince you to try it out.
1. Low In Calories
Almond milk is low in calories and hence a healthier option for persons looking to lose weight or avoid being overweight.
Asides from being low in calories due to the production process, it is not a chore to consume after being accustomed to dairy milk because it is also very delicious and goes with different cereals, and can even be consumed alone.
However sweetened almond milk may contain more calories due to sugar additives, due to this it is advisable to use unsweetened almond milk when trying to lose or maintain weight.
2. High In Vitamin E
Almonds contain a high concentration of vitamin E and an intake of one cup of almond milk easily provides you with 50% of your daily vitamin E requirement.
Vitamin E in the body acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect the body from stress and inflammation. It may prove beneficial in the prevention or treatment of symptoms of chronic conditions such as diabetes and osteoarthritis. As opposed to this, dairy milk does not contain vitamin E.
It is also concentrated with Vitamin D and calcium as well. These nutrients are proven to ensure proper bone, heart, and immune function in the body. Calcium intake helps to prevent regular bone fractures as it strengthens your bones.
3. Good For Lactose Intolerant Persons
Almond milk is also a healthy and safe option for lactose-intolerant persons that can not consume dairy milk. Being plant-based and lactose-free, it is also a great alternative for vegans whose lifestyle forbids them to consume animal-based products.
5 Ways to Detect If Almond Milk Is Spoilt
The process of Almond milk spoilage is a little tricky to detect, unlike dairy milk. However, when preservative methods are neglected, Almond milk is bound to spoil and cause food positing when consumed.
To avoid this, the following are five easy signs to look out for to avoid consuming spoilt Almond milk;
Step 1
The first tell-tale sign is when you realize it has passed its expiration date. For commercially sold almond milk, once it has been opened past 7-10 days, it is unsafe to consume. While for homemade almond milk, once the usual 4-5 days time frame is passed, the milk is no longer advisable to be consumed.
Step 2
When the milk begins to thicken and clump together, it has most likely spoilt. The expression “most likely” is used in this situation because Almond milk has a natural tendency to clump even when it is completely safe for consumption. To differentiate which is spoilt and which is not, shake or heat mildly, if the clumping persists, the milk has gone bad.
Step 3
If kept in storage past its expiration date or life expectancy period (for homemade almond milk), it is still considered unhealthy to consume. Unopened commercial almond milk packs once kept longer than 7-10 days is still unsafe to drink and should be disposed of instead.
Step 4
Almond milk has a nutty and fresh smell when it is first made or purchased. However, when it begins to go bad, you take a sniff and none of this nutty or fresh scent is present. Instead, it may smell sour, stale or weird, simply any unpleasant smell that hits your nostrils rather than the usual smell means it’s ready to go in the bin.
Step 5
Once you notice molds forming, black dots on the packaging, and an inconsistency in the almond milk’s texture, then it is no more healthy. Almond milk that appears to be slimy, lumpy, or tasted sour should be disposed of.
Preserving Almond Milk
Despite being an alternative with several benefits, Almond milk is still a perishable product. Therefore, just like other perishable foods, it has preservative methods that must be observed to avoid faster spoilage or wastage due to negligence.
- Commercially packaged almond milk is ultra-pasteurized (heated quickly to 280•F and also cooled down at the same speed) and as a result, must be stored at room temperature while unopened. When opened it must be stored in a refrigerator and consumed in 7-10 days.
- Home-made Almond milk on the other hand has to be refrigerated at all times and consumed within 4-5 days of production.
- Blanching and soaking of almonds in the fridge before grinding makes homemade almond milk last longer than usual. It could even last as long as two weeks!
- Storing homemade almond milk in a sterilized bottle as opposed to cool bottles also increases its lifespan.
- In a situation where the milk begins to slightly curdle, heat it before consumption as long as it’s not yet sour.
In Conclusion
Almond milk is plant-based milk that offers great nutritional benefits in addition to its good taste.
However, despite being preserved through refrigeration, it does not last longer than 7-10 days. To know if it has gone bad lookout for sour taste, molds, clumping, and odd smell.
References:
- Elise Mandl (2007) 9 Science-Based Health Benefits of Almond Milk https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk-health-benefits
- Sheela Prakash (2015) How do I know if my Almond Milk has gone bad? https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-tell-when-almond-milk-goes-bad-article/amp
- Snusha Goyal, I Taste-Tested Almond Milk and Dairy Milk to see the difference: https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/taste-testing-almond-milk-with-cows-milk