Almond Milk Is Mostly Water and a Few Almonds

The bag of almonds it's named after is barely in the carton.

Almond milk feels like a wholesome swap. It can be — but a lot of what's in the carton isn't almond.

The 2% problem

Many almond milks are roughly 2% almonds. The rest is water, plus added gums, oils, and often sugar to build back the body and taste that all that water washed out. You're frequently paying almond prices for thickened water.

Read past "almond"

Check for added sugar (buy unsweetened) and the almond content if it's listed. Emulsifiers like gellan gum and lecithin aren't dangerous, but they're a sign of how little almond is doing the work.

The move

Unsweetened is the one to grab. If you want more actual nut, some brands list a higher almond percentage — or you can blend your own with just almonds and water.

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