When it comes to animal milk substitutes, almond milk is a popular choice. It's free from both cholesterol and lactose plus it contains high levels of vitamin E, magnesium, iron and calcium.
As Emma Wood, the founder of London's Blend and Press juice bar, explains, it's a good alternative if you're looking to up your nutrient intake.
"If you soak almonds in water for 24 hours in a glass jar, exposed to sunlight, they will sprout. This is because almonds are in fact seeds," Emma told us.
"This germination of the seed activates the release of an abundance of beneficial enzymes and nutrients, so to create almond milk from sprouted almonds increases the nutritional value of the milk."
But there's a new lactose-free milk to know about and it's made with arguably the most delicious nut of all, cashews.
"Cashew milk is thick and a little sweeter than almond milk," says Wood. "The wonderful thing about soaking cashew nuts is that they go very soft so once you blitz them in a blender they turn beautifully creamy. There's no need to strain the pulp away as it vanishes into the creamy milk."
So, the nutritional values of both nut milks are similar - but the advantage of using cashews is that unlike almonds, they don't need to be blanched and can be ground down in minutes. A hassle-free option? We know which one we'd chose.
Whichever nut milk you go for, the real health benefit comes from making your own with none of the additives that store-bought products can contain.
Emma shared her recipes for each version with us. She recommends adding a couple of dates, cinnamon or vanilla to either to make these milks extra decadent.
Almond milk recipe
- Soak one cup of raw almonds for 12 to 24 hours.
- Rinse with fresh clean water the next morning and evening to get rid of bacteria. (The point of the almond should show a small white sprout.)
- Add four cups of filtered water to the almonds.
- Blend on high for two minutes and bottle.
- Keep in the fridge for three to five days.
Cashew milk recipe
- Add four cups of filtered water to soaked raw cashew nuts (soaked for eight to 12 hours.)
- Blend on high for two minutes and bottle.
- Keep in the fridge for three to five days.
MORE HEALTH RECIPES!