Snack Review: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk
As a child, my mother had a very difficult time getting me to drink milk. Whole, 2%, nonfat, or even chocolate - you name it, I disliked it. My life seemed content without milk, until I started bodybuilding.
Though the average person needs only around fifty grams of protein a day, it has been suggested that someone training in a high-regimen exercise program consume up to four grams of protein per pound of body weight. In my case, that would be consuming over seven hundred grams!
Now, I can eat a lot (I might have successfully completed the Vermonster challenge… in thirteen and a half minutes), but seven hundred grams of protein? That’s like… like… like eating a baby cow. And frankly, eating a baby cow every day seems rather unappetizing.
So how do I remedy this problem? Well, like most bodybuilders and athletes, I take a variety of protein supplements. Though the bulk of my consumption comes from textured vegetable protein flakes, about a hundred grams is derived from whey protein, which is produced as a byproduct of cheese manufacturing.
Well, problem solved, right? Wrong! When I started taking whey, I developed a whole new issue. Despite what the label on my whey bin might claim, water and chocolate-flavored whey protein does not taste good! And I am supposed to drink four of these a day? That wasn’t going to happen.
So the logical choice to replace water for these protein shakes was with milk. But I don’t drink milk. And even if I did, one of the reasons I consume protein powder is that it has a high protein to low calorie, carbohydrate, and fat ratio. Drinking four glasses of milk would surely undo this precept.
So I searched my local Whole Foods for a milk alternative, figuring that if anyone could aid me, they could. Speaking with a dairy expert, I inquired if they had low-calorie milk. She directed me toward fat-free varieties, which were lower than your regular glass, but I was still unsatisfied. Sensing my skepticism, she asked if I had ever tried almond milk.
We walked over the aisle that stocked the almond milk, which also contains the soy milk and the non-perishable milk in those funky, airtight sealed cartons. I browsed through the nutrition labels of several varieties, and it wasn’t long before my eyes found Blue Diamond Almond Breeze.
The box advertised that it contained only forty calories a cup. Forty! That means the entire carton has roughly the same amount of calories as four glasses of whole milk. Aside from the calories, each glass consists of only 3 grams of fat (all 3 being natural, unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids derived from almonds) and 2 grams of carbohydrates. Though it is rather devoid of protein, it is as fortified as most dairy milk products are, considering each glass has 20, 25, and 50% percent of the RDA of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E, respectively.
So I had found a gleaming candidate for my shakes in terms of nutrition, but how does it actually taste? Well, there are several varieties, and I chose the unsweetened, vanilla flavor. Drinking it, I was reminded of how people who consume whole milk feel when they are offered a glass of the fat-free kind: it has a watery taste that is indicative of milk, but doesn’t quite match up. There was a vanilla essence, but the slight bitterness of the almond flavor overpowered it.
However, my intention did not include drinking it from straight out of the glass. I mixed one cup’s worth with a scoop of protein powder and prayed it would fare better than the water. And… and… and it was delicious! I now have no problem chugging my shakes.
But this stuff is great for more than just protein shakes. It works great for ice cream making, cereal, or pouring into your coffee. There is a natural creaminess and sweetness to it derived from the almonds that work well with a variety of other flavors that dairy milk on its own doesn’t quite reach.
If you’re looking for a product with a natural sweetness, I suggest you check out the sweetened varieties, which are higher calorically, but still about half the amount of your typical glass of milk. Both the unsweetened and sweetened varieties consist of original, vanilla, and chocolate flavors. This product is ideal for those who are lactose intolerant and/or are practicing vegetarians/vegans.
Though I don’t think I would ever regularly ingest the unsweetened variety on its own, it should be considered a staple for anyone who is looking for a healthier milk substitute.
Buy Blue Diamond Almond Milk Online:
- at Amazon.com
3 Comments
Jade on March 4th, 2009
I LOVE almond milk! I’m a part-time vegan (full-time vegetarian), and I try not to consume milk. I don’t mind soy milk, but it has that distinct soy aftertaste. I discovered almond milk, which has mild sweet flavor. It is wonderful with cereal and great as milk substitute in baking.
mae2 on May 9th, 2010
I since like milk but since my husband and I have been trying to lose weight we have been buying soy Milk a couple of weeks ago my sister told me about Almond milk and said to try it . we could not find the blue diamond brand so we tried silk almond milk I still did not like it . 2 days ago we were excited to finally find the blue diamond brand . and what a wonderful taste , creamy but not heavy.
I did not know you could make ice cream with it . Was Wondering if it is possible to Put the cartons in the freezer for future use or will it seoerate.
Jim on January 20th, 2009
I’ve been looking for this stuff but haven’t found it at my mainstream grocer, so I’ll look for it at Whole Foods. I wondered how it tastes solo, and it sounds interesting with protein powder. Thanks for the thorough review.