Nut Milks (Almond, Cashew and Others): Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Nut milks are drinks made from ground nuts and water. The best known is almond milk (almond is Prunus dulcis, a tree in the rose family); cashew milk (Anacardium occidentale) and other nut drinks are sold too. What you drink is a processed, mostly-water product, not a glass of nuts. This page looks at what is in a typical carton, what the sources say about fortification, added sugar and labeling, and who should be careful. It keeps nut milk apart from eating whole nuts, and from hype. It is information only, not a plan for what to drink.

Read this first

• Nut milk is made from a tree nut. Anyone with an almond, cashew or other tree nut allergy should avoid it unless an allergist says otherwise. In the U.S., tree nuts are one of nine major food allergens and the label must name the nut. [13] For trouble breathing or swelling of the throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [13][14]
• Nut milk is not a milk replacement for babies under 1. The NHS says babies under 12 months need breast milk or first infant formula. [6] For ages 1 to 5, ask a pediatrician. [6][7]
• Commercial almond milk is mostly water. A label survey found almond content from just over 2% to about 10%. [3] USDA lists 0.4 g of protein per 100 g in unsweetened almond milk. [1]
• Calcium, vitamin D, B12 and other nutrients in these drinks are mostly added by the maker, and amounts vary from brand to brand. [10][11] Read the label.
• The sweetened vanilla kind carries about 15 g of sugars per cup, against about 2 g in the unsweetened kind (USDA total sugars). [1][2]

What is in it (USDA values)

USDA lists two almond drinks. Their cups are not the same weight in the USDA file (262 g and 240 g), so the two columns are not exactly the same volume.

Source: USDA FoodData Central, "Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable" (FDC 174832) [1] and "Beverages, almond milk, sweetened, vanilla flavor, ready-to-drink" (FDC 168751) [2]. Per-cup numbers are the per-100-g values times the USDA cup weight, and %DV is that amount divided by the FDA Daily Value. % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with brand and recipe. These are two USDA records, not every product on the shelf. USDA lists total sugars, not added sugars, for these items.

USDA's entries do not say which nutrients were added. We did not read the product labels behind these records, so we do not say which values come from fortification. Vitamin D and B12 are not listed in these two USDA records. We did not read a source on plant compounds in nut milks, so we describe none.

How much nut is really in it

There is no single standard. In one label review of more than 40 almond milks sold in Australia, the almond content on the labels ranged from just over 2% to roughly 10%. [3] A rough check with USDA numbers points the same way: the unsweetened drink has 0.4 g protein per 100 g [1], and raw almonds have 21.15 g per 100 g [17]. If all of the protein came from almonds, that is about 2% almonds by weight. That is our own arithmetic, not a measured nut content, and a maker may add other ingredients. Cashew and other nut milks: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read on how much nut they contain.

What research says

Eaten as food versus as a drink. Trials on nuts used whole or ground nuts. They say little about a drink that contains perhaps a few percent nut. See Nuts and seeds for heart health for the whole-nut trials.

Fortification: calcium, vitamin D and B12

• The NHS names unsweetened calcium-fortified soya, pea and oat drinks as calcium sources for vegans, and unsweetened fortified soya drinks as sources of B12 and vitamin D. [5] That NHS page does not name almond drinks. [5]
• In the U.S. market survey, nutrient amounts differed across brands and lots, so the label is the guide. [10]
• We could not read the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets (the site blocked us), so we do not quote them on fortified milks.
• Whether vitamin B12 or iodine is added to a given drink: not shown in the USDA records we read; check the label. [1][2][11]

Added sugar

USDA lists total sugars of 6.25 g per 100 g for the sweetened vanilla drink and 0.81 g for the unsweetened one. [1][2] USDA does not split added sugars in these records. FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 g a day, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise keeping added sugars under 10% of calories. [16] Sugars that occur naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables are not counted as added. [16]

Thickeners and gums

Some nut milks contain carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener. The Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter says it stops the nut particles settling, that animal and cell studies raised gut-inflammation questions, that human studies of those concerns have not been done, and that FDA and other regulators have judged it safe at current levels. [15] This is a newsletter summary; we did not read FDA's own document. Other gums: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.

Labeling: what FDA says

In February 2023 FDA issued draft guidance on plant-based milk alternatives. It says names such as "soy milk" and "almond milk" have become common or usual names, and it recommends a voluntary nutrient statement when a product with "milk" in its name differs from milk in nutrients, compared with USDA nutrient criteria for fluid milk substitutes. [4] It is a draft, not a final rule. [4] The FDA page we read does not list which nutrients the statement would cover. [4] Environmental claims (water use, carbon) are not covered on this page; we did not review them.

How much is a normal serving

USDA gives 1 cup as the household portion for both drinks (262 g and 240 g in the files). [1][2] That is a measure, not a prescription. Energy per cup is about 39 kcal unsweetened and 91 kcal sweetened. [1][2] Shake the carton: in a lab test, protein and calcium in some plant drinks differed between shaken and unshaken samples. [8]

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Tree nut allergy. Tree nuts are a major U.S. allergen, and labels must name the specific nut, such as almonds. [13] The NHS lists almonds and cashews among nuts that can cause allergy; for sudden swelling of the lips, mouth or throat or fast, difficult breathing it advises calling 999 (UK). [14] In the U.S., stop eating the food, decide whether epinephrine is needed, and get medical care. [13] Nut milk contains the allergen; allergy to the nut is the same allergy. See nut and seed allergy basics and food allergy basics.
• Babies under 1. The NHS says babies need breast milk or first infant formula until at least 1 year. [6]
• Toddlers. From age 1 the NHS says unsweetened, calcium-fortified plant drinks (soya, oat, almond) can be given as part of a balanced diet, but not rice drinks to under-5s because of arsenic; ask a health visitor or doctor if there is a milk allergy. [6] A 2021 JAMA Pediatrics commentary says most authorities advise against plant drinks as a milk substitute for young children, that they are generally lower in energy, protein and fat than cow's milk, and that Canada advises against them under age 2. [7] Advice differs by country; ask a pediatrician. See foods for babies and toddlers.
• Milk allergy. Nut milk does not contain cow's milk protein, but we did not read a source on cross-contact in factories; read the label.
• Medicines. We did not find a source we could read on medicine interactions with nut milk. A pharmacist can check. See foods and medicine interactions.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Look at the label for protein, calcium, added sugar and salt (see Added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels).
• Shelf-stable cartons and chilled cartons differ in storage. We did not read an official source on how long an opened carton keeps, so follow the label and see food storage and leftovers.

Related pages

• Plant milks: oat, almond, soy and others
• Fortified plant milks and cereals
• Almonds
• Nut and seed allergy basics
• Cashews
• Foods for babies and toddlers