For a post-gym smoothie or bowl of oats, an unsweetened almond drink can be a base, but add a separate protein-containing food if the snack is meant for recovery after intense or prolonged exercise. The almond drinks reviewed here list 0.5g to 0.9g protein per 100ml, while UK Sports Institute guidance describes a snack containing both carbohydrate and protein after that kind of exercise. If the drink regularly replaces dairy, check the exact carton for added calcium, iodine and vitamins rather than assuming all almond drinks contain them.
If you use almond drink in a smoothie, oats or cereal, consider what else supplies protein. The reviewed almond-drink labels list 0.5g to 0.9g protein per 100ml, so the drink alone contributes relatively little to a protein-containing snack.
An unsweetened carton may suit your flavour and sugar preference. Compare its added calcium, iodine and vitamins with what you want from a regular dairy replacement; the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ plant-based-drinks report notes that nutrient content varies considerably.
If simple ingredients matter more to you than added nutrients, compare the ingredient list with the nutrition panel. Plenish Organic Almond Drink lists water, 4% organic almonds and sea salt, but its reviewed ingredient list does not name added calcium, iodine, vitamin D or B12.
Start with the role the drink will play in your snack, then compare the exact carton’s protein, sugars, added nutrients and handling instructions. Shop by those details rather than treating “mature” as a carton specification.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein in the snack | Compare protein per 100ml on the carton. Plan the other snack ingredients separately: UK Sports Institute guidance describes carbohydrate and protein after intense or prolonged exercise. | I’m using almond drink as the liquid in a smoothie or with oats, and I want a separate protein-containing food when the snack is intended for recovery. |
| Sugars and flavour | Read sugars per 100ml and distinguish unsweetened from sweetened. Sainsbury’s labels list under 0.5g for its unsweetened drink and 2.7g for its sweetened drink per 100ml; both list 0.6g protein per 100ml. | If I prefer less sugar in the drink, I can choose unsweetened and decide separately whether to add fruit, oats or another carbohydrate-containing food. |
| Added nutrients | If the drink regularly replaces dairy, check the precise carton for calcium, iodine, vitamin D and B12. Sainsbury’s lists 120mg calcium and 22.5µg iodine per 100ml on its unsweetened almond-drink label. | I want to know which nutrients this particular carton adds, rather than assuming every almond drink has the same formulation. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list for almonds, oils, salt and added nutrients. Plenish Organic Almond Drink lists spring water, 4% organic almonds and sea salt. | A short ingredient list matters to me, so I’ll check it alongside the nutrients listed on the carton. |
| Allergens and storage | Read the current allergen statement and the instructions for storing an opened carton. The Food Standards Agency identifies almonds as nuts; the reviewed Sainsbury’s and M&S cartons specify refrigeration and use within three days of opening. | I need a drink that is suitable for everyone having the snack, and I want to know how long the opened carton can be kept. |
The reviewed cartons list 0.5g to 0.9g protein per 100ml. Almond drink in a smoothie does not, by itself, tell you how much protein the finished snack contains.
If you are planning food after intense or prolonged exercise, consider a separate protein-containing ingredient and the carbohydrate in the whole snack, in line with UK Sports Institute guidance.
Ingredient lists and fortification differ. The reviewed Plenish organic carton has three listed ingredients and does not list added calcium, iodine, vitamin D or B12.
If added nutrients are important in a regular dairy replacement, check the exact carton rather than choosing by its organic label alone.
Sainsbury’s sweetened and unsweetened almond drinks both list 0.6g protein per 100ml, while their labelled sugars differ: 2.7g and under 0.5g per 100ml respectively.
Choose between them for the flavour and sugar content you want in the wider snack, not as a protein upgrade.
Almonds are nuts, and a carton may carry further allergen warnings. Storage instructions also apply to the particular product, not to every almond drink.
Check the current allergen statement before serving and follow that carton’s refrigeration and use-by-after-opening directions.
These are examples of different formulations, not a list of products available in the Joybuy selection below.
Alpro Almond No Sugars is a long-life option for shakes, smoothies or cereal.
Its own-label range provides a direct sweetened-versus-unsweetened label comparison.
Its reviewed organic almond drink has a short ingredient list.
Rude Health describes its Chilled Almond Drink with Calcium as calcium-enriched.
M&S Unsweetened Almond Drink is another fortified formulation to compare by its label.
This unsweetened almond drink can be used as a smoothie or cereal base alongside a separate protein-containing food.
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For a post-gym smoothie or cereal, this drink provides a liquid base; add a separate protein-containing food if the snack is intended for recovery after intense or prolonged exercise.
The product information lists 0.0g sugars and 0.5g protein per 100ml, with added calcium and vitamins B2, B12 and D. Check the carton for the amounts of added nutrients you are relying on.
Contains almonds. According to the product instructions, refrigerate an opened carton at +1°C to +7°C and use it within 5 days.
Not if you are relying on it to provide the protein in a snack after intense or prolonged exercise. The reviewed almond drinks list 0.5g to 0.9g protein per 100ml; UK Sports Institute guidance describes a snack containing carbohydrate and protein after that kind of exercise. Use the drink as a base and consider what the other ingredients contribute.
Choose according to the flavour and sugar content you want in the whole snack. Sainsbury’s lists 2.7g sugars per 100ml for its sweetened almond drink and under 0.5g for its unsweetened version; both list 0.6g protein per 100ml. Sweetening is not a protein upgrade.
Added nutrients differ between cartons, which matters if almond drink regularly replaces dairy for you. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reports considerable variation in the nutrient content of plant-based drinks. Check the exact label for calcium and any iodine, vitamin D, B12 or other nutrients you want from the drink.
Check its ingredient list rather than assuming it does. The reviewed Plenish Organic Almond Drink lists spring water, 4% organic almonds and sea salt, without listing added calcium, iodine, vitamin D or B12.
No. Almond is a nut allergen, as identified by the Food Standards Agency. Read the exact carton’s allergen statement as well, including any warnings about other nuts or peanuts.