Almond Milk. . . what are we really drinking?

If you are someone who checks in here regularly or even semi-regularly you may have noticed that I have been quite absent from here.  In fact, today I was going to write about WHY I haven't been writing.  Instead,  after hearing about a recent class action lawsuit that has been filed, I felt like I should share a  frustration. . .I have written here about almond milk and its benefits.  I have talked about how I put it in my regular shakes and smoothies.  If you put a search of almond milk into this site, you'll see lots of recipes using almond milk in different ways.  I've been a big proponent of almond milk as a non-dairy, healthy alternative to milk.  Well, I guess I didn't do enough homework to research how much of the almond milk was actually almonds.  I basically assumed that if I was drinking almond milk, the main ingredient would be almonds.  Duh, right?  Well, not so.In fact, there has been a class action filed against the company making Almond Breeze almond milk.  The lawsuit claims that Almond Breeze actually only contains 2% almonds and the rest of the carton is filled with fillers like water, sugar, sunflower lecithin, and carrageenan.  I don't know about you but I'm a bit frustrated with this.  I thought I was doing the right thing and doing something healthy - and sharing that as a healthy tip to you folks!The class action lawsuit was filed in mid July in the US District Court in New York  and seeks $5 million in damages.  The plaintiffs Tracy Albert and Dimitrios Malaxianis say the company is misleading consumers by claiming that it is "made from real almonds"  on the front of the carton.While at the grocery store today I compared various brands of almond milk.  None of the labels state the percentage of almonds in the almond milk.  That made me wonder what I had expected? What does a health-minded consumer expect?  I'm thinking more than two percent!  Food  Navigator blog has a great article spelling out the background, claims of the almond milk proponents and more details about the lawsuit.  Check out their article, Almond Breeze Almond Milk Only Contains 2% Almonds, Claims False Advertising LawsuitI mentioned this during the end of a class I was teaching this morning.  One of the participants told me she makes her own almond milk, says it's easy and makes her feel really great knowing she's eating or drinking something so good for her.  Now, I know almond milk is something I can make on my own.  I know folks who make their own on a regular basis.  I think I've just been a bit lazy and found it easier to buy it at the store.  I am now inspired to make my own!  If you want to give it a try also, here's a great step-by-step recipe from Oh Nuts blog.Check it out!  It doesn't look tooooo complicated!  There are great directions with fabulous photos to go with each step.Do you drink almond milk?  Does the percentage of almonds in commercial almond milk surprise you?  Do you make your own?  Any tips for making it at home?Enjoy Your Day!