Until a few days ago, I thought the lowest calorie soya milk alternative was Alpro’s Almond Milk with only 24 calories per 100ml. However, I recently spotted this brand of unsweetened Almond Milk from Blue Diamond which has a mere 14 calories!I've never seen or heard of this brand before, and after a bit of online research, discovered it's only recently been launched in the UK.
Information on the carton says:
‘Made from non-GM California almonds, Almond Breeze is an all natural, great tasting creamy alternative to milk and soya.’
Almond Breeze Almond milk gets a green light in all health areas since it’s low in fat, sat. fat, sugar and salt. It’s made from all natural ingredients with no lactose, soya, peanuts, gluten or MSG. It’s a good source of calcium, has no sugar added and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Here’s a bit more information about Blue Diamond on the side of the pack:
'Delicious tasting Almond Breeze from the Almond People. Blue Diamond has been producing almonds since 1910. No one knows them, or loves them, like we do. Our 3000 plus growers are dedicated to producing delicious tasting and nutritious almonds for our Almond Breeze.'
This sounded so tempting I really hoped I would like the taste. I’ve only got Alpro’s Almond milk to compare it with and I love that. But if this Almond milk has only 14 calories per 100ml and tastes as good as it sounds, I’ll happily swap to this.
Quick Review:
My first thoughts when pouring out this almond milk was how white it is. I briefly wondered how this happens. I mean, almonds aren't exactly known for their white colour. It does look very fresh and I can't say I noticed any strong smell. I've now tried using Almond Breeze in coffee, tea, mixed with hot chocolate, on cereal, as well as drunk on its own.
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| Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk |
Next test was in my coffee. I always use soy milk and sometimes Alpro's Almond or Hazelnut milk. I decided to use half soy and half Blue Diamond Almond milk. And I'm sorry to say, it overpowered the flavour of my coffee rather too much.
I tried the milk in my cup of tea and, unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. I found it had a slightly bitter taste which was all I could taste rather than the tea. However, when I mixed it into a cup of hot chocolate, it was much better and I hardly noticed a difference between my usual soy.
Pouring it over over cereal was a better experience and I felt I could get used to this. Although the taste was still noticeable, I found it preferable to drinking it in tea or coffee.
I know that changing to a different type of milk takes some getting used to. But I'll probably stick to my regular soy. I really wanted to like this as it's so low in calories.
However, I am going to try the Blue Diamond Original Almond milk which is sweetened and has only 24 calories per 100ml, the same as Alpro's Almond milk. And Alpro's is also sweetened which may be why I prefer that one. I probably have too much of a sweet tooth to really like the unsweetened type.
I found this almond milk in a branch of Waitrose but it should also be stocked in Sainsbury's and Tesco. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is sold in chilled and ambient packs with other varieties including Original and Chocolate.
More information and press release HERE.
Nutrition information per 100ml: 14 calories, 0.5g protein, 0.4g carbohydrates, 0.1g sugars, 1.2g fat, <0.1g saturates, 0.3g fibre, 0.13g salt. 120mg calcium.
Not suitable as a complete milk food for children under the age of 5 years.
Ingredients: Spring water, almonds (2%), calcium carbonate, tapioca starch, sea salt, stabiliser, carrageenan, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin; natural flavouring. Contains naturally occurring sugars. Distributed by Kallo Foods.
© Diets and Calories 2012
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So lovely to see this being sold in the UK.
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