The "truth" on Almond Milk.

I've been doing a little research on Almond milk and non-dairy milk alternatives. I dislike milk as many of you might have read.. so i wanted to see if it'd be a better alternative.

I worked at a health food store for about a year, and people used to rave about this stuff, that it's so much better for you, and how it tastes delicious. I can vouch for the latter. But for the first part...

I found out that switching to Almond milk or other milk alternative drinks, could be adding up to 30 calories per cup to your daily diet. If you drink a cup every day, it can add up to 3 extra pounds a year. While i've read that Almond milk contains higher levels of antioxidants, it has less protein that regular milk, and milk has more bone-healthy calcium.

Now, there's quite a bit of different milks we can compare it too. Comparing to Skim or 1% milk, i'd say regular milk is better than the milk alternatives. But when comparing it to whole milk...I'd say, bring on the Almond/Rice/Alternative milk! Whole cow's milk contains a lot more calories and fat than almond milk. 

So be careful when you're switching to a milk alternative. If you're lactose-intolerant,  try a lactose-free low fat milk milk like Organic Valley's or Liddels. Some can be found at your local Publix, or try stores like Chuck's Natural Food Marketplace (If you're in the Tampa area), or a large chain store like Whole Foods!

I'd love to get opinions on this too, if you've been drinking milk alternatives for years and have had no side effects, please let me know!