The production of almond milk is also not exactly environmentally friendly.
In fact, the production of almond milk, from growing the almonds themselves, to grinding them up, mixing it with water, is a laborious process that is not only not environmentally friendly, but you are also not getting the actual benefit you would get from eating a couple of almonds.
Let's look at the production and issues with
growing almonds to cater for the almond milk crowd:
To cope with the surging almond demand, farmers have been drilling into the ground to tap into aquifers.
"Overpumping of aquifers threatens infrastructure like roads, which stand to collapse into sunken ground," said The Atlantic. It could also trigger earthquakes, explained a seminal piece by Mother Jones last year.
Another knock-on effect is the collapse of honeybee colonies. California uses about 60 per cent of the US's managed honeybees to pollinate the almond trees, but up to 25 per cent are dying from the pesticides.
The death of that many bees from the pesticides they use on the trees is terrible from an environmental standpoint. The amount of water required to grow the almonds, is, well, ridiculous. And with a growing market, more and more trees are having to be planted to cater to demand. As a result, precious ground water, is now being depleted to cater for the demand of almond milk.
It is not sustainable, it is harmful to not just the environment, but to animals like bees who play such a vital role in the ecosystem.
A look at the nutritional value of
almond milk makes it even worse.
A single ounce (28 grams) of almonds—nutrition info here—contains six grams of protein (about an egg's worth), along with three grams of fiber (a medium banana) and 12 grams of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (half an avocado). According to its label, an eight-ounce serving of Califia almond milk offers just one gram each of protein and fiber, and five grams of fat. A bottle of Califia delivers six eight-ounce servings, meaning that a handful of almonds contains as much protein as the mighty jug of this hot-selling beverage.
You are better off drinking water and eating a small handful of almonds than drinking a glass of almond milk, which uses up much more almonds and loses pretty much all of its nutritional value in its production. For example:
Califia does make a couple of splashy nutritional claims: "50% more calcium than milk," the bottle declares, and "50% RDI of Vitamin E." Almonds are a great source of these vital nutrients, but not that great. Our ounce of whole almonds contains 74 mg of calcium vs. 290 mg for a cup of whole milk, and 7 mg of vitamin E, about 37 percent of the recommended daily intake.
How does Califia's beverage manage to outdo straight almonds on calcium and vitamin E when it lags so far behind on protein and fat? Again, the answer lies in the ingredients list, which reveals the addition of a "vitamin/mineral blend." All fine and well, but if you're interested in added nutrients, why not just pop a vitamin pill?
Moreover, almond milk isn't just a few nuts packaged with lots of water. It often contains additives. For example, in addition to vitamins, the Califia product, like many of its rivals, contains small amounts of carrageenan, a seaweed derivative commonly used as a stabilizer in beverages. Academic scientists in Chicago have raised concerns that it might cause gastrointestinal inflammation.
Califia is not the only brand to be lying to their customers about their almond milk.
Europe are seeing similar lies about the nutritional value of almond milk being posted on their merchandise:
On cartons of Alpro (“enjoy plant power”), one of the market leaders that uses almonds grown in the Mediterranean, there is a picture of an almond breaking open as if this elixir of good health is exploding out of it. But, like many other brands, Alpro’s almond content is just 2% – the biggest ingredient is water, followed by sugar. Like most others, it also contains additives such as stabilisers and emulsifiers. The amount of sugar is less than the natural sugars found in cow’s milk, so it has fewer calories, but there is also less protein – 0.5g to the 3.5g you’ll get in the same amount of cow’s milk. Protein, says Helen Bond, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, “gives a feeling of fullness, it helps you to feel fuller for longer, and a lot of people are trying to get their protein intake up”. Dairy, she adds, “is a really great source of a readily available form of calcium, so you need to look for plant-based milk that is fortified with calcium, essential for maintaining bones as we get older”.
Like quinoa, another staple of hip “health” obsessives before it, production of almond milk also appears to have a hefty environmental impact. More than 80% of the world’s almond crop is grown in California, which has been experiencing its worst drought on record. It takes 1.1 gallons (5 litres) of water to grow one almond, and thanks to the big profits they bring in, almond orchards continue to be planted (this isn’t to say cow’s milk, which takes about 100 litres of water to produce 100ml of milk, is more environmentally friendly – more that its production is not concentrated in one area of the globe).
Almond milk is delicious, because they add sugar to it to make it palatable. They also add all sorts of stuff to it, to try and give it some nutritional value. I agree, you are better off popping a vitamin pill than relying on almond milk for your daily intake of vitamins and proteins.
It contains very little by way of almonds and more synthetic powders to mimic vitamins and proteins and of course sugar to make it more palatable. It is one of the reasons why I refuse to allow my kids to have it.
It isn't that healthy and it is not environmentally sustainable. They eat a couple of almonds and that has more nutritional value than a bottle of almond milk.
There are alternatives to dairy out there, that have less of an environmental impact and that are sustainable and healthier for you than drinking what is tantamount to a couple of almonds ground up, added to water along with many synthetic powders and sugar to meet its claims that it is "healthy".
Alternatively, do your research on sustainable dairy farming, and buy from companies who support farmers who treat their animals humanely and who offer a more natural grass fed dairy product. It is not only healthier for you, but also better for the environment.