For a gym bag, choose an unopened almond-drink carton whose label permits storage without refrigeration: Tesco describes an Alpro long-life drink as UHT, while M&S specifies cool, dry storage for its unopened drink. Compare fat and sugars using each pack’s stated per-100 g or per-100 ml figures, and take a separate protein-containing food if protein is the reason for packing a snack.
Compare the fat and sugars figures if those matter to your choice, but check protein separately. The Alpro, M&S and Tesco drinks considered here each list 0.5 g protein per 100 ml or per 100 g, according to their respective product information.
Look for storage instructions that fit the journey to the gym. An unopened long-life carton and an opened carton can have different requirements; follow the directions for the exact drink you carry.
Check the exact variant rather than assuming all almond drinks have the same ingredients, fortification or nutrition figures. An unsweetened name alone does not tell you the sugars value on the nutrition panel.
Start with the carton’s storage instructions, then compare its nutrition panel and ingredients with the role you want the drink to play.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and sugars | Read both figures and their units. Marks & Spencer lists 0.9 g fat and 0.2 g sugars per 100 g for M&S Unsweetened; Tesco lists 1.1 g fat and 0.3 g sugars per 100 ml for Tesco Unsweetened. Alpro UK lists 1.1 g fat and 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars. | I want to compare the actual nutrition figures, not rely on ‘unsweetened’ or ‘no sugars’ in the product name. I’ll keep the different per-100 g and per-100 ml bases in mind. |
| Storage | Check unopened storage conditions and the separate instructions after opening. Marks & Spencer says to keep its Unsweetened Almond Drink cool and dry before opening, then refrigerate it at 0°C to +5°C and consume it within three days. | My carton will be in a gym bag before I drink it, so I need its unopened storage instructions to fit the journey. I won’t leave it in the bag after opening if its label requires refrigeration. |
| Snack role | Check protein on the nutrition panel as well as any added nutrients. Alpro UK, Marks & Spencer and Tesco each list 0.5 g protein per 100 ml or per 100 g for the drinks described here; added calcium or vitamins do not change that protein figure. | If I’m packing food for its protein content, I’ll plan that food separately rather than assume an almond drink fills the same role. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact variant’s ingredients. Rude Health lists rice and sunflower oil in its standard Almond Drink, while its Pure Almond lists water and organic almonds; those recipes should not be treated as interchangeable. | I may prefer a particular recipe, but I’ll check its own nutrition panel before deciding whether it meets my fat and sugars preferences. |
| Allergens | Check the current ingredients and any precautionary allergen statement. The Food Standards Agency classifies almonds as tree nuts; a ‘may contain’ statement addresses possible unintended allergen presence, not an ingredient-free guarantee. | If I need to avoid almonds, an almond drink is not an option. I also need to read any other nut warnings on the particular carton. |
Alpro UK, Marks & Spencer and Tesco each list 0.5 g protein per 100 ml or per 100 g for the drinks compared here. A low fat or sugars figure does not tell you how much protein the drink contains.
If protein is the reason you are packing a snack, choose a separate protein-containing food and treat the almond drink as a drink alongside it.
Storage directions can change once a carton is opened. Marks & Spencer requires its Unsweetened Almond Drink to be refrigerated at 0°C to +5°C after opening and consumed within three days.
Pack it unopened only under its stated storage conditions. After opening, follow the carton’s refrigeration and use-by instructions.
Rude Health’s standard Almond Drink lists rice and sunflower oil, whereas its Pure Almond lists water and organic almonds. One variant’s ingredients do not describe another.
Read the ingredients and nutrition panel for the exact carton you intend to buy.
Almonds are tree nuts under the Food Standards Agency’s allergen classification. A particular carton may also carry precautionary wording about other nuts.
Do not choose almond drink for someone who needs to avoid almonds, and check the current pack for its full ingredient and precautionary statements.
These examples show why the exact product and variant matter; a brand name alone does not establish fat content or gym-bag storage conditions.
Alpro Almond Roasted No Sugars is an option for comparing a no-sugars almond drink with other labelled products.
Tesco Unsweetened Almond Drink provides an own-label option with a stated nutrition panel and added nutrients.
M&S Unsweetened Almond Drink gives shoppers explicit directions for storing an unopened carton and handling it after opening.
Plenish Almond M*lk is a recipe-led option for shoppers who want to compare ingredients.
Rude Health has almond drinks with materially different ingredient lists.
This long-life almond-drink multipack is an option to consider if you want unopened cartons for gym days. Check the storage instructions on the cartons before packing one.
No image available
This eight-carton long-life bundle may suit shoppers planning several gym-day drinks. Check the individual carton’s unopened and opened storage instructions, nutrition panel and almond-allergen information; pack a separate protein-containing food if protein is your snack priority.
An unopened carton can travel under the storage conditions stated on its label. Marks & Spencer says to keep its Unsweetened Almond Drink cool and dry before opening, but to refrigerate it at 0°C to +5°C and consume it within three days after opening. Check the directions on any other carton separately.
Not if the snack’s purpose is to provide substantial protein. Alpro UK, Marks & Spencer and Tesco each list 0.5 g protein per 100 ml or per 100 g for the drinks discussed here; choose a separate protein-containing food if that is what you intend to pack.
No. Marks & Spencer lists 0.2 g sugars per 100 g for M&S Unsweetened Almond Drink, and Tesco lists 0.3 g per 100 ml for Tesco Unsweetened Almond Drink. Alpro UK lists 0 g per 100 ml for its differently named Almond Roasted No Sugars drink. Compare the current nutrition panels using their stated units.
Do not choose an almond drink if you need to avoid almonds: the Food Standards Agency classifies almonds as tree nuts. Read the exact pack’s ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statement for information about other nuts.
Fortification does not, by itself, tell you the protein content. Alpro UK lists added calcium and iodine for Almond Roasted No Sugars, and Tesco lists added calcium, iodine and vitamins for Tesco Unsweetened; both list 0.5 g protein per 100 ml. Check the protein line separately when comparing cartons.