Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk Review

I recently stocked this Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk  as a substitute for dairy-based white milk products. The container says that this product contains only 40 calories per 8-ounce serving, and is an excellent calcium source.  This product has no added sugar, and the carbs it has tend to be of the complex variety.  So in moderation, this drink is an effective thirst-quencher for diabetics, who must watch the amount of simple carbohydrates they ingest.

I find this sugar-free vanilla almondmilk roughly the same as low-fat white dairy milk in terms of texture and opacity.  Its thickness resembles that of 1% lowfat cow’s milk, and it appears quite dense in the glass, as it passes very little light.  However, unlike white cow’s milk, its color is a sort of off-white with a touch of almond brown or ivory, and they’ve added a bit of natural vanilla flavoring, which sets it apart from dairy milk.  Still though, this almondmilk is great on cereal, in smoothies, or straight from the glass.  Though it has a notably different flavor than dairy milk, it nonetheless functions well as a dairy milk replacement.  I like it.

 

Benefits, Advantages, Pros, and Features

  • This is a completely non dairy product that is also soy free according to the label.  It has lots of the vitamin E antioxidant, but no saturated fat or cholesterol, no peanuts, no casein, no gluten, no eggs, nor any MSG (monosodium glutamate).
  • At roughly $2.00 per one-quart carton, Blue Diamond brand almond drink is priced on par with other similar beverages I’ve tasted.
  • It requires no refrigeration until after opening, and the date stamped on the top of the carton is nearly a year out from the date I bought my box.  So this beverage will keep for well over a year in the basement.
  • This milk alternative has some additives; including calcium carbonate, sea salt, vanilla flavors, and several vitamin compounds.
  • The packaging protects the almond drink from excessive light, which can affect its flavor as well as dilute the nutrition.
  • It’s available at health food and bigger grocery stores like Walmart and Giant Eagle here in PA.
  • This drink keeps for nearly two months in the refrigerator once opened, so long as you keep it cold. It requires no refrigeration prior to first opening.
  • Made with real almonds, this drink is vegan-appropriate.
  • No bland taste from this almond drink product.  It’s simply almond and vanilla, and requires no sugar or other flavor additives to make it less bland.  It’s bland-free, naturally.
  • The one-quart version of this product is packaged in a carton; not a plastic bottle. Its taste therefore, suffers far less from the leeching plastic compounds from plastic bottles that transfer to the consumable liquid inside.
  • This is an excellent alternative for lactose-intolerant folks or those allergic to cow’s milk products.
  • It’s also a good soy beverage alternative, as almonds typically have a less obtrusive flavor than soybeans.  Try this out if you need a break from soy beverages.
  • I find this product very non addictive.  It’s easy to control the number and size of the portions; probably due to the lack of any added sugar-based sweeteners.

 

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

  • This product has significantly more fat than skim milk (3.5 grams Vs. 0 grams respectively).  However, all of that fat is non saturated.  So it’s a good fat.  It’s almond fat.
  • This product has no sweet taste whatsoever.  So you may find it bland if you’re used ot drinking lots of sugary beverages; like going from drinking soda pop to drinking black coffee I suppose.

 

Ingredients

Almondmilk (filtered water, almonds), calcium carbonate, tapioca starch, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, sunflower lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2 and d-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E).

WARNING: Not intended as infant formula.

 

Nutrition Facts

  • Serving size: 1 cup, or 240 milliliters.
  • Servings per container: 4.
  • Calories: 40.
  • Calories from fat: 30.
  • Total fat: 3.5 grams, 5% DV.
  • Saturated fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
  • Trans fat: 0 grams.
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
  • Sodium: 180 milligrams, 8% DV.
  • Potassium: 190 milligrams, 5% DV.
  • Total carbohydrate: 2 grams, 1% DV.
  • Dietary fiber: 1 gram, 4% DV.
  • Sugars: 0 grams.
  • Protein: 1 gram.
  • Vitamin A: 10% DV.
  • Calcium: 30% DV.
  • Vitamin C: 0% DV.
  • Vitamin D: 25% DV.
  • Phosphorous: 2% DV.
  • Iron: 4% DV.
  • Vitamin E: 50% DV.
  • Magnesium: 4% DV.

 

Product Rating

This vanilla flavored almondmilk is a delicious value, once you get used to the vanilla without the sweetness. I really enjoy it, and would rate this almond beverage at 96 out of 100.

 

Where To Buy Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Buy a quart carton at your favorite larger local grocer as a treat. Look for it in the bright blue, pink,  and white carton with a picture of the product being poured on the front, with the white cap atop.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • : Adjusted category and tag assignments, fixed typos, and added white space.
  • 2012-06-18: Originally published.