I was wondering why I can eat almonds and almond butter but I cannot drink almond milk.  I bought it, not having my list with me, thinking it would be a good milk alternative only to find it is an avoid.  

Any reason why I can't drink almond milk?

make your own without the gums and additives

Quoted from Lola

make your own without the gums and additives

I know - I know - I should make my own almond or rice milk, but I don't have time!  I was hoping to be able to buy SOME things.  I cook a lot but I would prefer to buy the milk.

I found one by Pacific that didn't look too bad.  Here are the ingredients:

Organic almond base (filtered water, organic almonds), organic rice starch, sea salt, organic vanilla, natural flavor, carrageenan, riboflavin (B2), vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2.


Looked pretty good to me.  Does it sound like it would be ok?  

Is that why I am not supposed to have it because of the gums and additives?

Carageenan is pretty bad stuff. Rice Dream is a better option, even though it contains "avoid" oils.

If you can find a brand of almond milk that doesn't use carrageenan and the gums / oils that you need to avoid, it should be okay for you.  My guess is that there isn't a commercial product without avoids.  So you'll have to try one and see how it affects you.

Speaking of gums, I found many years ago (before BTD) that certain non-dairy frozen desserts were far worse for me than an all natural ice cream brand like Breyers.  Rice Dream was one product that bothered me, and I assumed it was the thickening agents.

there s not much science or going out of your way in terms of whipping up your cup of home made almond milk daily

leave your almonds soaking the night before.....I like green tea

process in the morning while preparing your smoothie.....voila!

I consider almonds have a naturally sweet taste to them......so I do not even add sweetener, and the blueberries or other fruit combination I add, make up for the sweetness......individuality!

SquarePeg- the rice dream beverage is gum-free; it's just water, rice, sea salt, and oils (in very small amounts, with that aggrivating "this and/or that oil" so it may actually be compliant if that batch happens to contain only neutral oils). The "enriched" rice dream beverage also contains added vitamins and calcium. IMO, the "original" is healthier because the added nutrients may not be bioavailable or compliant.

I don't personally use it anymore, but I'm comfortable recomending it to others who are easing into this diet and/or are unable (unwilling?) to make their own at this time.

The rice dream frozen desserts, OTOH, are full of garbage.

Quoted Text

I know - I know - I should make my own almond or rice milk, but I don't have time

Patty H, I've been on the diet for a while and, like you, it was one of those things I just wanted to buy.  Well last week I made my first batch homemade almond milk and boy is it ever good.  And sooo easy to make.  No more buying it..... although I will keep a box in my pantry just in case    I froze 2 cups to see how it holds up in the freezer.  I bought a nut milk bag to use instead of using cheesecloth.

Quoted Text

process in the morning

Lola, do you process with skin on or slip them off??

I enjoy the extra fiber.....to each their own

Quoted from ruthiegirl

SquarePeg- the rice dream beverage is gum-free; it's just water, rice, sea salt, and oils (in very small amounts, with that aggrivating "this and/or that oil" so it may actually be compliant if that batch happens to contain only neutral oils). The "enriched" rice dream beverage also contains added vitamins and calcium. IMO, the "original" is healthier because the added nutrients may not be bioavailable or compliant.

I don't personally use it anymore, but I'm comfortable recomending it to others who are easing into this diet and/or are unable (unwilling?) to make their own at this time.

The rice dream frozen desserts, OTOH, are full of garbage.

Right, I meant to add that I drink the unflavored version of the beverage without any problems, and that it was only their ice cream substitute that bothered me.  But I ran out of time.  I'm glad you followed up on that.  I didn't want to discourage the OP from trying it.

Quoted from Lola

there s not much science or going out of your way in terms of whipping up your cup of home made almond milk daily

leave your almonds soaking the night before.....I like green tea

process in the morning while preparing your smoothie.....voila!

I consider almonds have a naturally sweet taste to them......so I do not even add sweetener, and the blueberries or other fruit combination I add, make up for the sweetness......individuality!

Lola, do you have a good recipe?  I guess I will need to try ruthiegirl's rice milk and your almond milk.  I don' like things too sweet . . . thanks for sharing

While you wait for Lola's reply, I'll tell you how I made it for years:

Soak 1 C almonds overnight in filtered water
drain and rinse well
put in blender with 4 C filtered water
blend on low until coarsely blended
then on high until pretty smooth

Pour through a coarse stainless steel strainer
Then pour through the finest stainless steel mesh strainer
Let drip until mush is nearly dry, then press with the back of a spoon

It's done.  Nothing else is needed.  

Quoted from Victoria

While you wait for Lola's reply, I'll tell you how I made it for years:

Soak 1 C almonds overnight in filtered water
drain and rinse well
put in blender with 4 C filtered water
blend on low until coarsely blended
then on high until pretty smooth

Pour through a coarse stainless steel strainer
Then pour through the finest stainless steel mesh strainer
Let drip until mush is nearly dry, then press with the back of a spoon

It's done.  Nothing else is needed.  

Thank you, Victoria.  I assume you use raw almonds?

A simple way to make rice milk:

Plain Rice Milk

A good way to make rice milk is to use fresh rice that is still hot.

    * 1 cup hot cooked rice, brown is okay, short grain is best.  Basmati may be best of all.
    * 4 cups warm water.  Cold water and cold rice won't work.
    * 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Put all in blender, puree for about 5 minutes (until smooth) let sit for 30 minutes or longer, then without shaking pour into container being careful not to let the sediments at the bottom pour into the new container. Alternatively, if you are in a hurry strain through coarse strainer and then through a fine strainer.

Quoted from Patty H

Thank you, Victoria.  I assume you use raw almonds?

Yes, raw.  And I use organic.  

Quoted from Victoria

Yes, raw.  And I use organic.  

Thank you again, Victoria.  I will give it a try!  

In an emergency you can always use almond butter to make almond milk. Just add a tablespoon of almond butter to some spring water and blend or stir until dissolved. If that's too thin, add a little more butter to taste. Not too shabby in a pinch.

Quoted from Brighid45

In an emergency you can always use almond butter to make almond milk. Just add a tablespoon of almond butter to some spring water and blend or stir until dissolved. If that's too thin, add a little more butter to taste. Not too shabby in a pinch.

That actually sounds pretty tasty!  

I don't know whether this is appropriate, given that this thread is all ladies, but almonds give me crazy libido.

I know Vitamin E isn't recommended for O's, but I gotta have some E from almonds! The physiological effects are simply too good to resist.

Note to self- stay away from Mark when he's been eating almonds.

I've found that almond milk from whole almonds tastes "milky" while almond milk from almond butter  tastes more "almondy." The texture is also much smoother from the whole almonds. I've added almond butter to a smoothie, but when making almond milk to use in hot cocoa or to pour on cereal, the kind from whole almonds works better.

Resurrecting this thread as was just searching after re-reading stuff on "raw almonds" not actually being raw, after the introduction of compulsory pasteurization & irridation
"Not only does is kill the bacteria, it renders the almond dead by killing all live nutrients and enzymes when heated over 118 degrees." organicjar.com/2009/1105/
Apparently you can buy raw direct from growers or if you buy outside the USA?!

I also read that the way to tell if your almonds are still raw is whether you can easily slip the skins off?! Apparently it is extremely difficult to skin them if they aren't raw...??!!

What are ppl's thoughts on this? I can't seem to find updated info any closer than 2009

Raw almonds bought in the US are probably chemically pasteurized with  propylene oxide unless you take steps to avoid it.

There are several methods of meeting the California Almond Board requirements.

From 2011:


http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2011/03/30/yes-raw-almonds-still-arent-raw/

http://www.healthbeyondhype.com/info/pasteurized-almonds-what-you-need-to-know/

http://theinfinitykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/mandatory-pasteurization-of-almonds-is.html

Non pasteurized nuts:

http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/almonds/organic.html

http://www.livingnutz.com/2011/04/the-truth-about-almond-pasteurization-methods/

Cheers for the update Good to see here & in that third link, that US almond growers achieve court victory in fight against mandatory fumigation

Learn more: raw almonds news and articles http://www.naturalnews.com/raw_almonds.html#ixzz1XcaEHVo5

I buy the best I can find for my family. For now, that means the "raw" almonds I buy aren't really "raw," but they still make decent almond milk. I also buy roasted almonds for snacking.