I’ve talked about it before, but it bears repeating. Most foods today, even so-called “health” foods, contain added fillers—preservatives, artificial flavorings, thickeners, stabilizers, and so on. Almond milk is no exception. The simple fact is, not all almond milks are created equal.

Which is too bad, because almond milk should be simple. All the added mystery ingredients undo the goodness this whole food was meant to do!

But take heart, there are still two companies that understand this idea and provide a milk that’s nothing but almonds and water. They don’t even add salt. I’m referring to Three Trees Almond (and other nut) Milks and Elmhurst Almond (and other nut) Milks. And both companies also make other nut milks as well as oat milk.

Here’s what the Three Trees company has to say about their product: “The richness of our nut and seed milks comes simply from using more healthy nuts and seeds, nothing else. Unlike some plant-based dairy alternatives that use thickeners to give body and taste, our milks get their rich yet clean taste purely from the quality of the fresh, organic ingredients that we use.”

You’ll know you’ve got a quality dairy alternative milk because it will separate in the refrigerator. Separation is natural because of the lack of thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, or fillers. All you have to do is give the container a good shake.

Thickeners and stabilizers such as carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum and acacia gum are what prevent separation. Emulsifiers such as oils and lecithin also serve to make the milk consistency even and “pretty.” Three Trees and Elmhurst say natural is beautiful, so they don’t cover up their gorgeous nut milks with additives.

Also, you’ll find a quality nut or seed milk will have clumps floating on top of the liquid. This again is due to the lack of stabilizers or emulsifiers, so a quality nut milk naturally separates, just like homemade. Thus, if your milk has chunks or clumps, your nut milk has not curdled. Just shaking the bottle breaks up the bits into smaller pieces that dissolve into the milk.

Lastly, a quality nut milk is made from vanilla bean (just like those in your home pantry), not “natural” vanilla flavor. This means that you’ll find black specs at the bottom of your container of vanilla almond milk. Over time the vanilla bean seeds settle at the bottom and sometimes group together, forming a black ring you might see at the bottom of your bottle. Once again, all you need to do is simply give your bottle a good shake to disperse the vanilla beans throughout the milk and enjoy the taste of real vanilla.

Now to the issue of cost. Yes, Three Trees and Elmhurst cost more. This is because we’re paying for 100% almonds, not 30% almonds. Thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, fillers, and extra water don’t cost as much as straight-up almonds, so of course we’re going to pay more for a bottle of pure almond milk. I can’t debate it, and won’t try, but I will close with this question: “What’s your health worth?”

Now, for all my whole food, plant-based Cook’n eaters out there, this one’s for you! Here’s a health-packed muffin recipe that’s as good as dessert and perfect for breakfast or snacking. It comes off the Three Trees website and is highly recommended!

Other than the green color, there’s NO hint of raw spinach in these. They’re delicious. And of course, it uses pure almond milk (just almonds and water—no mystery ingredients, thank you very much!).

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