Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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ingredients: almond milk (water, almonds), coconut milk (water, coconut cream [coconut extract, water, xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum]), evaporated cane juice, calcium carbonate, natural flavors, potassium citrate, sea salt, carrageenan, sunflower lecithin, vit A palmitate, vit D2, d-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E).

serving size is 1 cup. unfortunately 6g of sugar per serving.

I was thinking of using this as the liquid for my green smoothies. Not gonna lie, it tastes delicious. Other than the sugar content (probably will use half a cup and dilute it) any red flags? what's all this carrageenan business?

edited Apr 19 2012 at 11:38

Matt
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asked Apr 18 2012 at 23:59

RR
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they make an unsweetened version that has no cane juice as well. – Jessica G Apr 19 2012 at 0:50

Yep, I'm an avid user of their unsweetened almond milk (perfect for my morning whey protein shake/smoothie). – MotoMoto Apr 19 2012 at 1:26

I think I'm going to try just mixing the US almond milk and coconut milk from TJs. Probably cheaper anyways – RR Apr 19 2012 at 2:22

FED at LiveCaveman.com · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-19 01:03:59Z UTC

I've been drinking the plain blue diamond almond milk (unsweetened version) for years and have never had any issues with it. During that time, I've swapped it out for raw cows milk (gained weight), coconut milk (the version that Gillian Michaels promotes tastes horrible) and always return to the almond.

Recently, I made some almond milk with nuts that I got at Paleo FX (Yes, you can milk an almond) and it was great. Thick without thickeners, sweet without sweeteners, but it used about $14 dollars worth of almonds, so not very cost effective.

Regarding green smoothies, I've made quite a few in my day and find that I prefer them without almond milk. I like the canned coconut milk, or just a spoonful of almond butter to smooth (pardon the pun) out the flavors.

Chris · Answer 2 · 2012-04-19 00:30:59Z UTC

Carrageenan and guar gum are thickening agents.

They won't kill you, but I think guar gum might act as a mild laxative.

Other than that, I mean it's almond milk, so it's like eating a bunch of almonds which isn't always a good idea. But the ingredients are fine other than that.

Christian Holton · Answer 3 · 2012-04-19 00:46:12Z UTC

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The Silk version comes in unsweetened, too. 30 calories per serving.

answered Apr 19 2012 at 0:46

Christian Holton
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Jessica G · Answer 4 · 2012-04-19 00:52:09Z UTC

Xanthan gum can come from corn, so if you're avoiding corn you may want to avoid that as well. I used to drink that stuff all the time pre-paleo, and after a few months of being off it I took a sip and got nasty bloated. So I avoid it now. If I need (want) nut milk, I make my own with almonds or coconut + water in a blender.

Christopher Gagnon · Answer 5 · 2012-04-19 11:59:45Z UTC

I'm not bothered by the gums, but some people are, as they can come from things like corn and beans (though perhaps with corn-based xanthan gum mentioned, I'm wondering if the fermentation and refining process ameliorates anti-nutrients?). If one has never cooked with these gums, it's surprising what a vanishingly small amount if them it takes to thicken a large volume of liquid, so it might be perfectly fine in many cases.

As for the product itself, I really liked it, finding that the almond and coconut milks, blended, both provided what the other lacked individually, in terms of mouth feel and a well-rounded taste. Definitely went with the unsweetened version.

Unfortunately, the small co-op where I typically shop doesn't stock it--its pushed aside by shelves of the dreaded SOY MILK!!! This is probably for the best--I won't work hard enough to get it somewhere else, so instead I just drink booze when I want a caloric beverage ;-)

Blue Diamond almond/coconut milk blend: paleo ingredients?

5 Answers