Almond Milk and Weight Loss: Great Taste and Good for You

Did you ever try a new product and tell a friend that it was so good you could do a commercial for it? Well, this is one of those times and you are now officially the friend with whom I am sharing this information. Full disclosure -- I do not make or sell this product. I seriously just love it.

It's almond milk. Here are its praises which I will now sing:

It's delicious.

It's good for you.

How often do those two things go together?

Almond milk is dairy free so if you are a vegan or someone who can't ingest dairy, you are good to go with almond milk. I am neither of those but I still love this. I use it in place of milk in virtually any recipe. I've also used it in place of cream in soups. It comes in several flavors including plain, vanilla, and even chocolate. I use the plain in cereals and soups. I use the vanilla in smoothies and also in cereals because that is incredibly delicious. It's made by soaking the nuts in water and then grinding them into a liquid. That doesn't sound appetizing but I promise the end product is terrific. I'm not a fan of soy milk and some folks don't feel safe ingesting a lot of soy, so if you are one of those, almond milk is for you. It's low fat even in the highest calorie version. It has more calcium than cow's milk. The only nutritional downside that I can see is that it isn't a good source of protein but I can get sufficient protein elsewhere so that doesn't worry me. I also drink it by itself. It takes almost milkshake-like. The chocolate flavor comes in sweetened and unsweetened. I use the unsweetened (40 calories per cup) and then I add a teaspoon of cocoa powder which adds fiber and a bit of sweetener (agave or Splenda) for a wonderful and low calorie hot chocolate or cocoa drink. The sweetened variety has about the same calories as a cup of skim milk and is delicious as it is so it makes for a perfect and satisfying guilt-free treat.

Almond milk is so low calorie, you'll think something is wrong. I generally use the Blue Diamond brand low fat unsweetened vanilla which is only 40 calories per cup. (There's a plain one at 35 calories per cup.) There is also one of the same brand and flavor with 60 calories and even one with 90, but honestly, the 40-calorie one is so good, I can't see any reason to drink the higher calorie versions. Even if you do, however, a cup of skim milk is about 90 calories so you'll never do worse than that with almond milk. Trader Joe's has a brand of Almond milk which is also great and there are several other brands available. They seem much the same so buy whichever is easiest to find. You can buy a refrigerated one or there are shelf staple boxes of almond milk. I usually will buy and use the refrigerated half gallon but I keep a quart size spare on my shelf at all times. You can buy the quart-size shelf staple one on Amazon and it's a good deal, too, since you are buying more than one at a time.

For smoothies I use frozen fruit like peaches, strawberries, blueberries or raspberries, a half to a full cup of the vanilla almond milk, a drop of vanilla extract and throw it all in the blender (More about blenders below.). If I have good fresh fruit, especially bananas or berries or mango (yum), I use that, but I throw in a few ice cubes to thicken it somewhat and to add more bulk without adding more calories. This drink will satisfy a sweet tooth with no added sugar. It's a great fast breakfast and if you want to add protein powder it won't affect the taste much. It's also a terrific after school snack, especially for kids who may be picky eaters. It's so much like a milkshake, they'll think it's junk food!

For a quick and delicious soup, I saute about 24 ounces of a variety of sliced mushrooms (any variety will work but I like to use at least three different kinds to vary the flavor) along with a diced medium onion for about ten minutes in a stock pot in a small amount of olive oil. When the mushrooms and onions are soft, I add a quart of broth (either chicken or vegetable) and two cups of the plain (definitely not the vanilla) almond milk. I let this cook for about 20 minutes and then I spice with salt and pepper and a couple of different flavors (play with them until you find one you like) like nutmeg or garlic or even Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar and then blend the whole thing in batches in a blender, or better yet, with an immersion blender if you have one. it's thick and creamy without any actual cream and with very little fat or calories. It's filling and a terrific way to start a meal or add a hearty whole grain bread and a salad and it is a meal. And, if you don't have an immersion blender, you're missing out on one of the world's greatest, affordable kitchen tools. Look below for my favorite one. I guarantee you will love this tool. It blends drinks and makes soups, and it can be used for any liquid mixing and it's so much easier to clean than a regular blender.

It's my new favorite food product. I've yet to introduce it to one person who didn't love it and I suspect you will be writing hubs about it yourself once you try it! Enjoy! If you'd like to read more practical fitness strategies, visit The Joy of Fitness. And, if you want to read about how almond milk can be part of a weight loss meal, click here.