Is it milk or mylk?
Why the need to drink nut mylk?
Nut mylk is not exactly milk, it is a plant-based extract from nuts like almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts. Milk is from animals such as cows and goats but it is increasingly under scrutiny due to the alleged side effects like lactose intolerance, constipation, bloatedness and even high blood pressure. Definitely the calcium benefits are there, but animal welfare groups and environmentalists have mounted complaints about cruelty to animals and also the contribution to greenhouse gases.
Enter the nut mylk, where it looks milky and creamy, and with a whole range of natural flavours depending on the nuts used. It used to be for lactose intolerant people or kids who are allergic to milk but we are seeing more mylk sources these days due to a rise of vegan and cleansing diets.
Nut mylk vs milk
Let's compare the nutritional benefits so that you understand what you are drinking.
Source: Medical News Today, based on 200ml of enriched commercial almond milk and low fat cow’s milk.
Cow milk gives more amount of proteins. A 200ml glass of milk gives around 8g of proteins. Soy milk only gives around 6g while almond mylk is 1g.
The amount of calcium is usually lower for almond mylk based on DV (daily values of 1000mg of calcium) but it's higher in the table as it was enriched with calcium.
Superfood Almonds and its benefits
A point to note on almond mylk is the high amount of Vitamin E and one-third the amount of calories and carbohydrates. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your skin and helps our immune system, it's one of the reason why almonds are considered super food!
Take note that nut mylk may come sweetened with added sugar or honey, that will contribute to the calories and sugar content!
Source: Healthline
Nut mylk has a wide spectrum of flavours and also a wide number of benefits
Nuts contain a whole lot of protein, calcium, vitamin A and E, and good monounsaturated fats. However, some vitamins are lost during the milling process so you will not be getting as much nutritional goodness as compared to eating the nuts themselves.
Pistachio nut mylk
In terms of pistachio nut mylk, they have similar benefits to almonds. Additionally, they have an abundance of Vitamins A and C though slightly lesser protein. They are an excellent source of Vitamin B6 too. Pistachios also offer an antioxidant called resveratrol which is usually found in red wine.
The reason why we love pistachio is due to its distinctive taste that cannot be found in other foods!
For an unbeatable creamy, rich and fragrant mylk, hazelnut is the top choice. Usually nuts like almonds have an earthy bitterness that some are sensitive to but hazelnuts have none of that! It has a rich body so you can store them to add a dash of it into tea and coffee.
Hazelnuts are an amazing source of heart-healthy Omega-3 and the unsweetened version is still surprising rich and tasty. Think nutella and Ferrero Rocher and you will know what flavour to expect.
To get a fresh cup of nut milk, try your hand in making your own cup! Let us know if you would like to see nut mylk on our store.
Other nut mylk
Cashew mylk is surprisingly milky with a mild taste of fragrant nuttiness. Macadamia is creamy but you will not see many macadamia mylk in the market because raw macadamias are expensive, especially the premiums ones from Australia. They are good enough to be eaten on its own, and not necessary to blend into mylk. Walnut mylk is not so popular as not many prefer the taste of walnuts but they have the most health benefits. Peanut mylk is great and tasty but unfortunately, peanut allergy is one of the most common allergy which is why this is not so common in the market.
Conclusion
The best solution in getting the maximum amount of nutrition, is to drink your mylk and eat a handful of nuts! .
