Households comparing fat content
If you buy several cartons at once, compare total fat on the nutrition panels rather than assuming all unsweetened almond drinks have the same value.
Who needs to check what?
Families stocking the cupboard
Check how many cartons the pack contains, whether they can be stored unopened at room temperature and how soon each opened carton must be used.
People on a prescribed very-low-fat diet
Check each drink against your individual clinical plan. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s guidance distinguishes drinks with less than 0.5g fat per 100ml from those with 0.5g to 1.5g per 100ml.
What matters when choosing a family pack?
Compare the drink itself before committing to several cartons, then check whether the pack and storage instructions suit your household’s use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total fat | Compare fat per 100ml on the exact cartons. If another listing uses per 100g, do not treat the two figures as directly interchangeable. For a prescribed diet, follow your individual clinical target. | I want to compare drinks on the same basis before buying several cartons. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s very-low-fat diet guidance calls drinks below 0.5g fat per 100ml fat-free and those from 0.5g to 1.5g per 100ml low fat. |
| Sugars | Read both sugars per 100ml and the ingredients. Alpro UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars; Sainsbury’s lists 4.7g per 100ml for Rude Health Almond Drink, which contains rice. | If sugars matter to our household too, I want the figure for the particular drink, not an assumption based on the word ‘almond’. |
| Fortification | Check the exact carton for listed calcium, iodine and vitamins. Alpro UK’s Almond Roasted No Sugars page and Sainsbury’s own-label Unsweetened Almond Drink listing each give 120mg calcium and 22.5µg iodine per 100ml. | We use almond drink regularly in place of dairy milk, so I want to know what the carton actually lists. |
| Pack and storage | Confirm the carton count, unopened storage instructions and directions after opening. Joybuy lists the Alpro No Sugars long-life pack as 8 x 1L; Sainsbury’s says to use its chilled own-label carton within 3 days of opening. | Several cartons are useful only if we can store them and finish each opened carton within its stated period. |
| Allergens | Read the allergen statement on the exact product, including any warnings about other nuts. Do not treat ‘dairy-free’ as a statement about nut allergies. | Before buying for the family, I need to check that everyone who will drink it can have the ingredients listed on that carton. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming ‘unsweetened’ also means lower in fat
Fat and sugars are separate figures. Alpro UK lists 1.1g fat per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars, while a Snappy Shopper listing gives 2.2g fat per 100g for Plenish Organic Almond; those listings use different measurement bases.
Compare the fat figures on the exact cartons using the same unit before choosing a multipack.
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Using a general low-fat label for a prescribed diet
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s guidance for a prescribed very-low-fat diet describes drinks below 0.5g fat per 100ml as fat-free and those from 0.5g to 1.5g as low fat. Those categories do not replace an individual diet plan.
Check the carton against the instructions given by your clinician or dietitian.
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Overlooking instructions for opened cartons
Directions differ between products. Sainsbury’s says its chilled Unsweetened Almond Drink should be used within 3 days of opening; an Asda listing for Alpro’s chilled No Sugar drink states 5 days. Neither instruction should be assumed to apply to every long-life pack.
Check unopened storage and after-opening directions for the cartons you intend to buy.
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Taking ‘dairy-free’ to mean free from nut allergens
Almond drink contains almond. Sainsbury’s product information also warns that its own-label drink is unsuitable for customers allergic to other nuts because of manufacturing methods.
Read the exact carton’s ingredients and allergen warning before buying for anyone with a relevant allergy.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why pack format, nutrition values and ingredients need to be checked product by product; they do not describe every drink sold by each brand.
Alpro
Joybuy lists an Alpro No Sugars long-life pack of 8 x 1L, while Alpro UK publishes nutrition information for Almond Roasted No Sugars.
- Alpro UK lists 1.1g fat, 0g sugars, 120mg calcium and 22.5µg iodine per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars.
- Check the nutrition panel and allergen statement on the particular multipack; ‘no sugars’ does not mean fat-free.
Plenish
Plenish describes an organic almond-drink multipack containing 8 x 1L cartons.
- Plenish lists water, organic almonds and salt as its ingredients and says the multipack has no added sugar, oils or additives.
- A Snappy Shopper listing reports 2.2g fat per 100g for Plenish Organic Almond. Check the multipack’s own panel before comparing it with drinks labelled per 100ml.
Sainsbury’s
Its own-label Unsweetened Almond Drink is a chilled 1L carton to consider if you would rather try one carton before buying a multipack.
- Sainsbury’s lists 1.4g fat, less than 0.5g sugars, 120mg calcium and 22.5µg iodine per 100ml.
- Sainsbury’s says to use it within 3 days of opening and provides an allergy warning concerning other nuts.
Rude Health
Sainsbury’s lists a Rude Health Almond Drink made with organic rice, almonds and sunflower oil.
- The listed ingredients help distinguish this almond-and-rice drink from the no-sugars option above.
- Sainsbury’s lists 1.5g fat and 4.7g sugars per 100ml for this 1L drink; check both figures if they matter to your choice.
Joybuy almond-drink options
These Alpro listings concern a long-life 8 x 1L pack and a separate 1L almond-drink listing. Confirm the second listing’s carton count before treating it as a family pack.
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Alpro Almond No Sugars Long Life Drink 8 x 1L
The stated 8 x 1L long-life format suits a household looking for several cartons. Alpro UK gives 1.1g fat and 0g sugars per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars; check the values and almond-allergen information on this pack, particularly if you follow a prescribed diet.
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Alpro Almond Drink 1L
For a household purchase, confirm how many 1L cartons this listing includes before ordering. Check this drink’s fat and sugars per 100ml and its almond-allergen statement rather than applying values from a different Alpro variant.
Questions about choosing and storing almond drink
Is an unsweetened almond drink automatically suitable for a prescribed very-low-fat diet?
No. Unsweetened describes sugars, not fat. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s very-low-fat diet guidance describes drinks with less than 0.5g fat per 100ml as fat-free and those with 0.5g to 1.5g as low fat. Check the exact carton against your individual clinical instructions.
Can I use the same storage rule for every almond-drink carton?
No. Follow the instructions on each pack, including whether it needs chilling before opening. Sainsbury’s says to use its chilled Unsweetened Almond Drink within 3 days of opening, while an Asda listing for Alpro’s chilled No Sugar drink states 5 days; do not apply either period automatically to a different long-life carton.
Does ‘dairy-free’ mean an almond drink is suitable for someone with a nut allergy?
No. Almond drink contains almond, and warnings about other nuts can vary by product. Read the exact carton’s allergen statement; Sainsbury’s warns that its Unsweetened Almond Drink is unsuitable for customers allergic to other nuts because of manufacturing methods.