Almond Milk??

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10/19/12 10:32 A

If I use flaxseeds in my smoothie, they tend to get gelly like. I also use almond milk in mine at times but that has never made my smoothie gelly like. And I use a Nutribullet for my smoothies as I like the idea of not wasting the most nutiritious part: the pulp and fiber. It's just too expensive to juice. I tried spinach, a whole bag in the Breville juicer and only got like about 2 tablespoons, if that much, of spinach juice with a lot of pulp thrown out of the machine into the discard for the pulp. I can't afford to throw money away.

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7/11/12 10:35 P

What else was in that smoothie? Almond milk (or any nondairy milk for that matter) wouldn't do that.

As a fellow follower of Dr Fuhrman I'm guessing you added 1T of flax or chia seeds, yes? That will thicken in a gelatinous way, especially if you're not using a high powered blender. If you're not using a blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec you may need to adjust his recipes a little. Perhaps add more liquid.

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7/11/12 8:28 P

while almond milk is lower in calories than cow's milk (only 30 calories/cup)...do not rely on it for protein. It only contains 1 gram, compared to 8 grams in a cup of cow's milk. And read the nutrition label and make sure your variety is fortified with calcium and vitamin D. This SP article gives a nutrition comparison of all the alternative milks:

www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_art
icles.asp?id=1555

SP Dietitian Becky

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7/11/12 5:02 P

Just watch out for sodium levels in Almond milks...some of them are way too high!

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7/11/12 11:50 A

I bet it's not the almond milk, but the other fruit and stuff you added to your smoothie. The only time I've ended up with a gelatin-like consistency is when I included a bunch of blueberries in my smoothie, which I don't normally add. Aside from that one time the texture is always the same regardless of what liquid I add (almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, water, or orange juice).

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7/11/12 11:31 A

I use almond breeze, unsweetened original for everything one normally uses milk for.
Mashed potatoes to cereal to baking.
I buy it off the shelf (unrefrigerated) and we keep them in our pantry.
Once they are opened, they need refrigeration, but they are never jelly-like.

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7/10/12 11:35 P

I use unsweetened almond and coconut milks (or blends of the two) for my smoothies and oatmeal. I have not had any problems. I am lactose intolerant so I stay away from regular milk.

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7/10/12 11:34 P

Thanks everyone so much for the tips/advice. I really appreciate your advice as I have only ever used cow's milk. I did have some ground up flax seeds in my smoothie and alot of blueberries. I'm wondering if I just needed to add in more almond milk to improve the consistency..or drink it quicker. I am going to try it again tomorrow morning as it seems like I have the right type of almond milk.... so it must have been something else :)

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7/10/12 5:34 P

try some of the almond milk plain and see if you like it.
my guess is that it was something else in the smoothie, especially if you let it sit. flax tends to sort of congeal once you let it sit with any sort of liquid. arrowroot and cornstarch are also decent thickeners, and i've even had something similar to this happen with oats. basically anything that is a dry sort of ingredient can sort of soak up more of the liquid if it sits in it for too long and that can really change the consistency of the thing.

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7/10/12 4:10 P

what else was in your smoothie?

i use unsweetened original almond breeze religiously (the same as you, i think, comes in the juice-type pack in a regular aisle). just make sure you shake it well and store it in the fridge after opening for ~10 days max.

i've never had a problem with it and i use it in cereal, oatmeal, overnight oats, smoothies, coffee etc...

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7/10/12 3:16 P

Hemp milk is actually good, it's made from hemp seeds. I've tried the vanilla before and liked it.

But I normally use Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla almond milk and I like that - only 40 calories!

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7/10/12 3:13 P

That is odd; I am not sure it is the almond milk that is causing the issue. I usually purchase the unsweetened Silk almond milk that is sold in the refrigerated dairy section at most grocery stores. It works just like skim milk in smoothies. I don't think I've tried Blue Diamond brand before, but have used the 1 quart cartons like you're talking about with other brands and not had any issues.

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7/10/12 3:10 P

I've used both Silk and Almond Breeze, both off the shelf and from the fridge section. Right now, I believe what's in my fridge is Almond Breeze (original unsweetened). It was from the refridgerated section.

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7/10/12 2:51 P

Thanks for the reply. Could you let me know what brand of Almond milk are you using and where you purchase it? I purchased a small carton of Blue Diamond almond milk at Target. I was surprised that it was not in the refrigerated section, but was on a regular shelf next to the dry milk etc.. I used it off the shelf and the box said "refrigerate after opening". I hope I purchased the right type and also hope it is not spoiled or something as my smoothie is now a lumpy mess.

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7/10/12 2:45 P

I love almond milk ever since I found that 1 cup has only 30 calories (unsweetened Silk original). I use it in smoothies and on cereal. I mix it half and half with soy milk to drink since I don't like the taste of it straight. It saves calories and I can still have a glass of "milk" with my dinner.

I'm not sure what happened with your smoothie. Did it have chia seeds or flax seeds in it? These can create a gel-like consistency

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7/10/12 2:36 P

I've never had that problem with almond milk. I use it in oatmeal and smoothies. Almond milk has more calcium than regular milk, but less protein. I don't know that it's "better" for you than dairy milk, but I know lots of people out there think that humnas are not made to consume dairy. Me? I love dairy, I just prefer using almond milk on my cereal and in smoothies to help save a few calories.

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7/10/12 2:30 P

I'm trying some of the smoothie recipes from the Eat to Live book by Dr. Fuhrman. His smoothies are made with soy, hemp, or almond milk as opposed to regular cow's milk. Well, I tried the almond milk today as hemp milk sounded scary and I'm allergic to soy. I am currently having to "eat" my smoothie with a spoon as the almond milk created the most bizarre gelatin-like consistency. I blended this smoothie for a long time and even added in a little water to improve the consistency, but once it sat for a bit, it became thick and lumpy. Is this common for almond milk? Is Almond milk lots better for you than regular cow's milk?

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