Almond Yogurt: Attempts of a Lazy Foodie

Since one of my (many) 2011 goals is to lose my chub focus on health, my first step is going to be limiting the animal products in my diet while increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. So far it's working: I'm 9lbs lighter than when I started making an effort to eat less and move more. (Aka, I'm obviously a weight-loss expert now.)

(Source)

Now, after reading this article by the Nutrition Diva, I'm choosing to limit dairy products on the notion that our bodies are not meant to digest it after weaning. If you need proof, just look at nature: milk is high in fat and calories in order to nourish a mammal's young. Do you want the same BMI as a baby? Didn't think so. 

Not quite bikini ready are we? Tsk, tsk. 

Luckily for all of you, I'm here to experiment with recipes and bring you the ones that won't make you vomit only the best! My first attempt? Yogurt made from almond milk. 


I got the idea from my own genius brain this great post on Heather Eats Almond Butter. I had to experiment with her recipe for a bit to get it right, but it basically went like this: 

In a saucepan, I combined: 

1 cup of Silk PureAlmond Milk:

 (I used Original )

With 1 rounded Tablespoon of Kanten Flakes (from Berrybrook Farm, my local patchouli-scented Health Food Store):

Kanten Flakes are basically nature's version of gelatin, they just come from the sea instead of horse hooves. (Ew.) 

Don't stir the mixture until it comes to a boil, and after that stir occasionally until the flakes dissolve. (Depending on how much you are making at once, this could take 5-10 min.) Let it cool completely before transferring it to a bowl and sticking it in the fridge. 

Within an hour or two (I lost track of time watching Real Housewives), voila! I had almond milk custard. I threw it in the blender with another splash of almond milk to make it creamy, and here was my result: 

Not half bad, huh? It had the same consistency as most light yogurts, like Yoplait Light or Activia. (Added bonus: no aspartame or other artificial ingredients like those yogurts have!) It made a great snack the next day with some banana and a dollop of honey. 


When I can afford my own handy dandy yogurt maker, Renegade Health had a great how-to video on fermenting your own non-dairy yogurt and sour cream. (It's legit.)


I've also listened to a couple of nutritional Food for Thought podcasts. I found them very helpful in clearing up myths about vegetarian nutrition. 


Have any of your tried something like this before? How did it turn out?


Happy Eating!