ALMOND MILK

After taking delivery of my cheesecloth (yep, I’m that person now), I got to work making my favourite fridge staple. I love almond milk, but some brands contain artificial sweeteners. Spurred on, I soaked 250g of almonds overnight in water (it makes them easier to blend) and then threw them in a blender with 2 litres of water for a few seconds until it formed a brown paste. I then squeezed the paste through a cheesecloth (beware: it looks like an intestine) until all the liquid was drained. (Not wearing an apron was a mistake.) I extracted a pint of ‘milk’ from 250g of nuts, reblended it with a date and 1 tsp of cinnamon and boom: homemade almond milk (cue smug face).

DIY: Per 100ml: 45 cals • 2g protein • 2g carbs • 0.5g sat fat

SHOP-BOUGHT: Per 100ml: 15 cals • 0.5g protein • 0.3g carbs • 0.1g sat fat

FAFF FACTOR: 4/10

TIME COST: 15 mins (plus 8 hrs of soaking and 5 mins spent trying to figure out what a cheesecloth is)

PURSE DAMAGE: I spent £5 on a box of almonds. Usually this would last a month. It was gone in a few days

WORTH IT? No. ‘From a nutritional perspective, the most valuable element of almond milk is what it’s fortified with,’ says Medlin. ‘Responsible almond milk manufacturers will add calcium, B12 and vitamin D, which homemade almond milk won’t include.’ Look for one fortified with iodine, too, like the M&S offering.