Is Almond Milk Keto Friendly?

In this video by James Pattinson we find an answer to the question: Is Almond Milk Keto Friendly? Almond Milk is one of the most popular plant-based milk alternatives around, mainly due to its low calorie content and nutty flavor.

You make Almond Milk by first grinding the Almonds and then soaking it in water. Afterwards you filter out the solids leaving the milky white fluid we know as Almond Milk. This beverage is rich in several nutrients, including Vitamin E and Magnesium. The products you get from the store is usually further enriched with calcium and Vitamin D which support healthy bones.

Almond Milk is however much lower in protein than dairy or soy milk products. So knowing this is Almond Milk Keto friendly and furthermore, is it a good choice for people that follow the keto diet?

As you know the Keto Diet is a high fat but low carb diet. Given that milk and its alternatives often contain carbs, it is difficult to find a milk-like substitute that is actually Keto friendly.

So lets unpack it a little further. Almond Milk usually comes in two varieties, sweetened and unsweetened. Furthermore nutritional content of Almond Milk products varies by brand and flavor. However unsweetened versions are lower in calories, carbs and sugar than those that are sweetened.

It can fit in to a Keto Diet but is dependent on what else you are eating and drinking during the day. On your basic Keto Diet your carb intake is restricted to only 5% to 10% of calories. So as an example, if you are on a 2000 calorie diet, your carb intake will be limited to 20 to 50 grams for the day.

Unsweetened Almond Milk contains just 1.4 grams of carbs per 240 ml. Adding the calcium and Vitamin E content it makes it a very good option for a healthy Keto Diet. The sweetened version is however much harder to fit in to the diet as it contains 16 grams of carbs and 15 grams of sugar. So one cup of sweetened Almond Milk will use up most of your allowance for the day. This in turn will limit you from adding other sources of carbs to your meal plan.

There are some other plant-based milk-alternatives that could also fit into a Keto diet:

• Hemp Milk: 0 grams of carbs per 240ml (1 Cup)
• Ripple (pea milk): 0 grams per cup
• Coconut Milk from a carton: 1 gram per cup
• Soy Milk: 4 grams per cup.

Remember that there are all for the unsweetened varieties, and may also not offer much protein or fat.

So, is Almond Milk Keto Friendly? Yes! The unsweetened option is low carb and will add a creamy texture and nutty flavor to your coffee and shakes. It is also suitable for cooking and baking.