The dairy-free world has been lighting up recently and everyone's excited about new dairy alternatives. The dairy-free area of foods, such as cashew milk, has become popular because literally everyone is at least a little bit intolerant. People are also more aware of how dairy affects skin and it's recent connections with heart disease and other scary health problems.
Cashew milk is a recent fad in the dairy-free world and no I don't wake up and "milk all the cashews". According to Live Strong, "cashew milk is a great alternative for anyone avoiding dairy or soy." Cashew milk is relatively low in calories, and contains vitamins A, B12, D, and calcium.
What is Cashew Milk?
Cashew milk is exactly what you think it is, it's made of cashews. It's a milk that does not contain any lactose, dairy, or gluten. According to Shape, "cashew milk also tends to be creamier and thicker, with a coconut milk-like consistency and subtle taste." There's less of a nutty flavor, that other nut milks, like almond milk has.
There are several companies that make cashew milk, for example, Silk, So Delicious, and Almond Breeze, which has an almond and cashew milk blend.
According to US News, there's only about 30 percent of calcium in an 8-ounce serving of whole milk and non-fat milk. Whereas, cashew milk, both original and unsweetened contains 45 percent of calcium per 8-ounce serving, in addition to fewer calories. Dairy milk reaches between 90 to 150 calories per 8-ounce, while cashew milk stays around 25 to 60.
How Cashew Milk is Made
If you're curious about making your own, it's relatively simple. You begin by soaking one cup of cashews in about three cups of water. Once properly soaked, blend the nuts in a blends. According to Live Strong, "if the texture is too grainy, you can use a cheesecloth, filtration bag, or sieve that will allow only the liquid to filter through."
In order to sweeten the cashew milk, you can add stevia or honey. Don't be afraid to additional flavors in order to customize your cashew milk.
The demand for plant-based milks began around 2011, when there was a surge in sales of "$1.4 billion from $900 million in 2012," according to the New York Times.
It's the consumers choice to stick to what they know or venture out to something new. Either way, it's important that you're only consuming foods that are benefiting you. If you have an intolerance, worried about what dairy is doing to your body, or ready for a change, go ahead and give cashew milk a try.