How To Make Almond Milk? Nutrition and Benefits of Almond Milk

How To Make Almond Milk? Just like healthy relationships, healthy habits are crucial. With so many people becoming vegan these days, the search for an alternative for Dairy milk is at peak. Almond milk, unlike your regular cow milk, is satisfying and very yummy because of its creamy and nutty taste.

It’s also is an excellent option for people who are lactose intolerant. It doesn’t matter if you are sensitive to milk, vegan or just don’t like the bland taste of cow milk. Almond milk is here to your rescue!

You can find plenty of variations in the supermarket, but why go there when it is very easy to make it at home. Also, the readymade ones are generally diluted which tones down the fibre and nutrients. Homemade almond milk is rich in good fats, minerals, vitamin A, E and D. 

Although our mothers say that a glass of cow’s milk every day will keep you away from any illness, almond milk stands out since it is free from sugar and cholesterol. Cow’s milk, although a great source of calcium and protein, almond milk is low fat, has fewer carbs and is high in energy, lipids and fibre. It’s a blessing for people who are on a diet but aren’t willing to compromise nutrition. 

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Gluten Free Amaranth Almond Pistachio Cookies

Recipe by Priyanka Gandhi Mehta

These Gluten Free Amaranth and Almond Pistachio cookies are fun to make and loaded with nutrition for kids and adults. Make them with your kids in these summer vacation and enjoy their health benefits . These cookies use Amaranth flour as a base which is loaded with protein, amino acids, calcium, magnesium and iron. They are a great for small kid’s snack time as well. Addition of almond meal and pistachio makes them even healthier.

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One cup of almond milk meets 50% of our daily nutritional requirement. Regular consumption of nuts reduces the risk of heart diseases. The nutritional value of almond milk is almost the same as that of the healthy rice.

Almond milk doesn’t require any refrigeration as such for shorter periods. This means you can conveniently take it along with you to office, picnics and camping trips. The best part about making almond milk on your own is that you have the flexibility to customize it. Let’s take a look at how Priyanka G Mehta likes her almond milk.

How To Make Almond Milk?

Soak one cup of almonds in 3-4 cups of water overnight or for 8-10 hours. Alternatively, you can soak them in hot water for 1-2 hours also.

Peel off the skin from the soaked almonds and blend them in a blender jar with 4 cups of water to form a smooth and uniform puree.

Line a kitchen sifter with a muslin cloth or a cotton kitchen towel over a bowl. Pour all the blended mixture over it. Squeeze out all the milk leaving out the pulp behind. This pulp can be used in thickening curries and making bakery items.

Store the almond milk in a glass or steel bottle inside the fridge. It stays fresh for 3-4 days. Shake well if it looks contents separate out.

Nutrition

Let’s take a look at why you should choose almond milk over cow’s milk and soy milk.

Data Source: Wikipedia

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Almond Payasam

Recipe by Neeru Gupta

Almond payasam is made with milk and almonds and flavoured with saffron to satisfy your sweet tooth. The rich and creamy payasam can be made with in minutes and served with chopped nuts.

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Benefits of almond milk?

1. Almond milk is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin E. Vitamin E can work wonders for your skin and hair. It is full of antioxidants that help in achieving flawless skin. It also protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
2. It is a boon for people who are lactose intolerant or diabetic since it is lactose and sugar-free. Having a cup of almond milk will reduce your chances of getting a heart attack and reduce the bad cholesterol. It has low sodium and enriched in omega fatty acids.
3. A cup of almond milk every day will help in maintaining blood pressure. Irregular movement of blood in the heart can pose a life-threatening condition.
4. Excess amounts of calcium and protein can accumulate in kidneys. Almond milk is a fabulous alternative for people who are suffering from chronic or acute kidney diseases.
5. It fulfils 25% of daily requirement of Vitamin D, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis. According to a recent study, almond milk has been proven to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells.
6. Presence of Vitamin A ensures the regulated functioning of eyes. The harmful rays radiated from TVs, laptops and smartphones can affect your vision. Intake of vitamin A will help minimise the effects.
7. Almond milk contains enough fibres to keep a check on your bowel movements. Almonds also contain folic acid which prevents birth defects. Often, pregnant women are asked to increase their intake of almonds for a healthy growth of the foetus and reduce NTDs ( Neural Tube Defects).

Although the cow’s milk is a good source of protein, it is clearly very high in fat, calories and cholesterol. Also, it contains tree nuts which may cause certain allergic reactions like uneven breathing, red spots on skin and unconsciousness. Hence, the choice should be completely based on dietary preferences.

So go ahead and make ice creams, smoothies and porridges with a twist of scrumptious nutty taste. Use the leftovers as a cleansing lotion. Just mix it with some rose water and apply it to cool down the sensitive skin. Let everyone become a fan of your cooking skills!

Reference: Link1 , Link2 , Link3

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How To Make Quick And Easy Honey Glazed Almonds

Recipe by Sonia Gupta

Snacking with Honey Glazed Almonds Food and beverages that we eat in between our regular meal is termed as snaking. Honey glazed almonds are also great snacking option. No matter what time of a day you feel like eating snacks, these honey glazed almonds are a perfect companion of all times.

Typically snacking is not looked at as a good habit. It is because snacks are mostly referred to high calories and fatty foods e.g. cookies, cakes and wafers. Honey glazed almonds, on the contrary, is a healthy snacking option that even your dietician will like you to eat.

Healthy snacking vs unhealthy snacking. Whether snacking leads to weight gain or weight loss is no proven theory behind that. Few claim snacking to increase metabolism, but again there is no scientific research that proves the same. Healthline released a beautiful, evidence based article and wrote in detail about healthy and unhealthy snacking.

Concluding many research's together, the fine line is to choose healthy snacking option. You may snack to prevent hunger or may be to eat smaller portions thorough out the day. The reason could be different, but the choice should be healthy.

In healthy eating habit one of the suggested step is to replace unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. Honey glazed almonds would be a good replacement. Almond and Honey benefits.

Almonds are a great source of vitamin E. Along with vitamin E, Almonds are also source of vitamin B2, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, biotin, and copper. Interestingly, more than 60% of the fat that almonds contain are monounsaturated fat that helps in lowering cholesterol.

On the other side, honey prevents cancer and heart diseases. I always depend on honey and turmeric when it comes to treating cough and throat irritation. Honey also helps in regulating blood sugar and its probiotic nature increase good bacteria in the body.

When combined together, almond and honey benefit the entire body system. Heating effects on Honey. Pure honey can stay unspoiled for thousands of years. A spoon of honey with Luke warm water helps in cutting down the fact, however, boiling or heating honey directly is never a good idea. Temperature more than 37 Degree Celsius (98.6F) has detrimental effects on the nutritional values of honey.

Healthy Roasted Almonds recipe with Glazed Honey. Honey glazed almonds with a hint of salt, is my favorite tea time partner. This recipe is a tried and tested recipe that satisfies the need of both, sweet and salty, snacking. Therefore, I consider this as the best honey roasted almonds recipe.

Check out this recipe

About the Author

Priyanka Gandhi Mehta is a complete Foodie who loves to eat and cook. She shares her passion for cooking on her blog Flavored with love by Priyanka where each and every dish which is cooked is prepared with lots of love. Learning is an ongoing process for her and she learns from all the sources be it recipes from internet, TV, acquaintances, relatives or friends and finally gives her special touch to each dish.

The sound of cumin seeds crackling and the smell of freshly ground garam masala just excites her.  Priyanka Gandhi, ever smiling girl loves to be in her kitchen experimenting something new. You can follow Priyanka on her blog Flavored with love by Priyanka, Plattershare  or  Facebook Page

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