People switching from conventional dairy to dairy-free diets is on the increase and the choice of alternative milk is even better than it was. Whether you are lactose intolerant like myself, have a dairy allergy, follow a vegan diet or simply want to try them and see what the hype is all about there’s so many to choose from. However, store brought alternative milk tend to contain preservatives, emulsifiers and sweeteners to keep it shelf stable and keep its texture. Making your own raw nut milk is super easy and much healthier than store brought. With a little advanced planning, you can have fresh nut milk to use in smoothies, cereals or desserts. They are more nourishing as they provide abundant vitamins, minerals and healthy oils as well as protein and fibre.
It’s best to alternate the milks you make instead just sticking to one favourite as each one has unique nutrition and helps you differently on an energetic level by doing this you will have a well-balanced assortment of healing nourishment.
I tend to sweeten mine with natural additives like organic medjool dates as it gives it a creamier taste and makes a delicious smoothie. They are also a great source of sweetness. There are many other types of syrup available like maple syrup, agave, yacon and coconut nectar but please make sure when buy maple syrup always opt for real organic, sustainably harvested as maple flavour just isn’t the same and just won’t do! Maple syrup also has one of the lowest levels of fructose compared with the others. This means the sugars are used by the body more slowly, preventing blood-sugar spikes. Maple syrup also contains nutrients as well as antioxidants.
The following 8 recipes approximately makes 240ml servings
Sunflower Milk
It’s a great source of protein, fibre, essential fatty acids, calcium, iron zinc, magnesium, potassium, manganese, selenium and B and E vitamins they also contain significant amounts of tryptophan (amino acids) to alleviate anxiety and help you sleep.
Ingredients:
150g raw organic sunflower seeds (hulled)
1 ¼ teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
720ml filtered water or natural spring water, plus a bowlful for soaking
2 tsp of organic vanilla extract (optional)
Soak the sunflower seeds in a large bowl of fresh water, with 1 tsp of salt for at least 12 hours. Drain the seeds and rinse really well. Add the soaked sunflower seeds 720ml water and ¼ teaspoon salt to your blender. Blend for about a minute until all seeds are broken down and you’re left with milk add vanilla extract and maple syrup for sweetness and to balance out the flavour. Blend again then sieve through nut bag or muslin cloth Pour into a glass bottle or jar with lid, and store in the fridge. It will keep up to 2-3 days
Pumpkin Seed Milk
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of iron with one cup delivering almost half the RDA of iron. Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of zinc, great for bone health, and prostate health in men. They are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and copper, as well as vitamins A, B and E.
Loaded with heart-healthy unsaturated fats and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, pumpkin seeds are anti-inflammatory that help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol for heart health. They also contain tryptophan to alleviate anxiety and aid sleep.
Ingredients:
150g raw organic pumpkin seeds
1 ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
720ml filtered water or natural spring water, plus a bowlful for soaking
1 tsp organic vanilla extract (optional)
2 organic medjool dates de-stoned (optional)
Soak the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl of fresh water with 1 tsp salt for 6 hours. Drain the seeds and rinse well. Place the soaked pumpkin seeds, 720ml water and ¼ teaspoon salt in your blender. Blend for a minute until all the seeds are broken down and you’re left with milk. Due to the pigmentation of the seeds, you’ll end up with a slightly green mixture add the vanilla extract and dates or sweetness before blending some more. This helps the milk a little more palatable but optional. Sieve and pour into glass bottle or glass jar.
It will keep 2-3 days refrigerated.
Hazelnut Milk
Hazelnuts are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 which are essential in blood formation and mental health. They are also a good source of vitamin E a strong antioxidant which promotes healthy hair and skin as well as boosting the health of the heart muscles. They help prevent anemia, cancer and heart disease, rich in folic acid, which is important as this helps to produce red blood cells and transport oxygen around the body and provides the body with protein. It is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids ALA, which has been proven to help keep cholesterol and blood pressure down. Also contains calcium and zinc and iron.
It has a buttery, almost dessert-like feel to it. It reminds me of chocolate (and goes well with cacao) Hazelnuts to have a higher fat content than other nuts, but provided that you aren’t having it every day, your intake should be fine.
Ingredients:
150g raw organic hazelnuts
1 ¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
480ml filtered water or natural spring water plus a bowlful for soaking
1 tsp of organic vanilla extract
3 tbsp. maple syrup
Soak hazelnuts in a large bowl of fresh water, with 1tsp salt for 12 hours. Drain the nuts and rinse well. Put the soaked nuts, 480ml water and ¼ tsp salt into your blender. Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup. Blend for a minute until all the nuts are broken down and you’re left with milk. Sieve and pour into glass bottle or glass jar.
It will keep for 2-3 days refrigerated.
Brazil Nut Milk
Brazil Nuts are a great source of selenium which helps keep disease at bay, a strong antioxidant known to prevent many kinds of cancer. It is also packed with calcium; magnesium and potassium that help regulate blood pressure. The fibre in Brazil nuts helps lower cholesterol. The high quantity of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. There are many nutrients in Brazil nuts to make the heart become stronger and even though there’s a high fat content it’s a healthy fat. They are also a good source of copper which is very important to our overall wellness. They support the nervous system and the B1 content is good for brain health. They also contain protein.
Ingredients:
125g Raw Brazil Nuts
1 ¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
960ml filtered water or natural spring water plus a bowlful for soaking
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp. maple syrup (optional)
Soak the Brazil nuts in a large bowl of fresh water, with 1 tsp salt for 5 hours. Due to the higher oil content, you don’t want them to soak for too long. Drain the nuts and rinse well. Pu the soaked Brazil nuts, 960ml water, ¼ tsp salt and cinnamon into your blender (the cinnamon gives the milk a great taste and also helps balance blood sugar.) Blend for about a minute until all the nuts are broken down and you’re left with milk. Add maple syrup if desired. Sieve and pour into glass bottle or glass jar.
It will keep for 2-3 days refrigerated.
Cashew Nut Milk
Cashews are often referred to as nuts but they are actually seeds. The cashews grown in tropical regions contain more selenium than those grown in Europe or North America because of the soil in which they grow. It is rare to find true “raw” cashews because they need to be steamed to get them out of their toxic shell so most so called “raw” cashews are not in their natural state. They are a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and create creamy rich milk that is delicious. Cashews help regulate blood pressure and help keep our muscles working properly. Also rich in omega-6 essential fatty acids which are important for healthy skin and keeping cholesterol levels down.
Ingredients:
150g “raw” cashews
1 ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
720ml Filtered water or natural spring water plus a bowlful for soaking
Soak cashews in a large bowl of fresh water, with 1 tsp salt for 5 hours. Cashews are a softer seed, so they don’t need as long to soak.
Drain and rinse well. Put the soaked cashews, 720ml water, and ¼ teaspoon salt into your blender, blend for about a minute until all the seeds are broken down and you are left with Milk. Sieve and pour cashew milk into glass bottle or jar with a lid.
It will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.
Brown Rice Milk
Rice milk has an acquired taste. Many store brought versions have an unusual after taste that is a bit unpleasant. If you have a nut allergy, you may find that this dairy alternative more suitable. Rice is a seed and it is also gluten free and the third most popular dairy alternative next to soy milk and almond. Since rice is full of starch so is rice milk one cup of rice milk contains 33 grams of carbs 3 to 4 times the amount in milk or soy.
It contains more manganese and selenium than any other dairy alternative. There are quite a few antioxidants and acids found in rice milk that can help the skin, including para-amino benzoic acid, which is linked to protecting the skin from the damaging rays of the sun, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes.
The various antioxidants that are found in rice can help to boost the overall strength of the immune system, helping the body resist oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to chronic diseases.
There is no cholesterol in this milk variety, which is good news for people struggling with obesity and cardiovascular issues. Drinking this can lower your risk of heart attacks, atherosclerosis, and strokes.
Ingredients:
125g cooked brown rice
480ml filtered water or natural spring water
A pinch of Himalayan salt
3 medjool dates (destoned)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp maple syrup
To make the milk, all you need is just a small amount of cooked brown rice.
Soak rice in a bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt for a minimum of 12 hours, if you allow it to soak for 24 hours, it will turn out much better lighter and creamier. Drain and rinse well. Place rice and 480ml water in a pot, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Once the rice is tender, after 20 minutes, it’s ready. Set aside and allow to cool.
Put cooked rice, 480ml water, pinch of salt, dates, cinnamon and maple syrup into your blender. Blend for a minute until all the rice is broken down and you are left with milk. Strain and pour the milk into glass bottle or jar with lid and store in fridge.
Will keep for 2-3 days.
Macadamia Nut Milk
Macadamias are rich, creamy and very delicious. Perhaps the best reason to enjoy macadamia milk is that, in addition to helping your body reduce cholesterol, it’s also 100 percent cholesterol free. It is also a source of vitamin A, iron, protein, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. They also contain small amounts of selenium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
Another health benefit of macadamia milk comes from their flavonoids (the same compounds that give red wine its healthful claim to fame). Flavonoids are compounds naturally found in plants. They help repair damaged plant cells and protect the plant from environmental toxins. When we eat these plants, our bodies turn the flavonoids into antioxidants. Antioxidants search for and destroy free radicals as a result, the flavonoids help lower blood pressure and protect against some forms of cancer.
Ingredients:
125g raw macadamia nuts
1 ¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
720ml filtered water or natural spring water, plus a bowlful for soaking
1 tsp organic vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbsp. maple syrup (optional)
Soak the macadamias in a large bowl of fresh water with 1 tsp salt for 5 hours. Macadamias don’t require a long soaking time. Drain and rinse really well. Put the soaked macadamias, 720ml water and ¼ tsp. salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup into your blender. Blend for about a minute until all the nuts are broken down and you’re left with milk. Strain and pour milk into a glass bottle or jar with a lid, and store and fridge. It will keep for 2-3 days.
Almond Nut Milk
Almond milk is the most commonly known plant-based milk you can find in most supermarkets but making your own you are guaranteed the highest quality, best nutritional and appropriate sweetness. When choosing almonds always make sure you opt for organic as other almonds produce cyanide when mixed with water. It’s so simple and versatile that you can use it in smoothies, cereals, or on its own. Research has revealed that almond milk has helped to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells because of the presence of monounsaturated fat it can also help in the potential prevention of other certain cancers.
Almond milk is very low in calories making it a common weight-loss diet option. Diets that encourage consuming healthy fats such as the ketogenic diet or various other low-carb diets often include consumption of almond milk because it’s low in calories carbs and sugars. The fat in almond milk benefits the heart by replacing saturated fat with other mono and polyunsaturated fats to help to protect your heart against coronary heart disease it also helps lower cholesterol naturally which increasing levels of good HDL cholesterol. It is also know to help decreasing the risk of cluster disorder known as metabolic syndrome.
Although it may not contain as much Vitamin D or protein per serving as animal milks, one of the benefits of almond milk nutrition is that it’s still a good source of this vitamin that helps keep your bones and teeth strong and dense. The fats in almond milk also contribute to bone health. Consuming monounsaturated fat is one method of helping prevent osteoporosis and bone weakness.
Almond milk is also high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants work by fighting free radical damage caused by chemicals in food, sun exposure and various other things. Some free radicals in the body are perfectly normal, but many people living a Western lifestyle retain more than is good for you, so it’s important to eat antioxidant foods that can help prevent the oxidative damage caused by these molecules. By consuming significant amounts of vitamin E, your body can fight off the disease-causing effects of free radicals. It even helps keep your skin healthy and slows the aging process.
Alzheimer’s currently has no cure, but there are many natural ways scientists are finding to help prevent or slow this disease. Vitamin E plays a key role in helping slow the degeneration that occurs with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ingredients:
150g raw organic almonds
1 ¼ tsp. Himalayan sea salt
720ml filtered water or natural spring water, plus a bowlful for soaking
1 tsp organic vanilla extract (optional)
2 medjool dates (destoned) (optional)
Soak the almonds in a large bowl
Soak the almonds in a large bowl of fresh water with 1 tsp salt for 12 hours. Drain and rinse really well. Put the soaked macadamias, 720ml water and ¼ tsp. salt, vanilla extract and medjool dates into your blender. Blend for about a minute until all the nuts are broken down and you’re left with a milk.. Strain the liquid and pour milk into a glass bottle or jar with a lid, and store and fridge.
It will keep for 2-3 days.
Credit: Doreen Virtue & Robert Reeves
