Turmeric Date Almond Milk

I think it’s safe to assume that part of the difficulty of choosing whole foods is convenience.

Just walking to class, I pass a ton of cafes offering sugary caramel macchiatos, bigger-than-my-head-sized muffins, and cookies loaded with chocolate and candy. It would be convenient to grab one of these items to happily chug or munch on during class. And honestly, that was my routine freshman year.

I would walk on down to Business Law, grab a giant M&M cookie and a medium vanilla latte at our coffee shop, and scarf them down all within ten minutes of the beginning of class. Then I would wonder why I was so tired all.the.time.

Hey, freshman Alexa. It’s called a sugar crash.

As Business Law, and freshman year in general, was definitely not the easiest endeavor I have encountered in my 22 short years on this here earth, I should have been fueling my body with nourishing foods to keep my energy up and head on a swivel. Simply put, whole foods give us the vitamins and the minerals our bodies crave for energy throughout the day. I couldn’t imagine a week without the energy I get from my favorite whole foods: hummus, fuji apples, d’anjou pears, lentils, sweet potatoes, and almond milk.

Choosing almond milk is one of the easiest ways to start transitioning into a plant-based, whole food diet. I bet there are about 500 brands of the stuff stocked on the shelves of your local grocery store. I usually opt for these brands for the sake of convenience. After seeing just how easy homemade almond milk can be however, I can safely say that I’ll be changing my tune. Guys, this Turmeric Date Almond Milk ROCKS. It’s so simple to make, and the flavors are elevated via the natural additions we’ll be adding. Four single ingredients are combined to turn this Turmeric Date Almond Milk into something truly special. You need this stuff in your life. It’s that simple.

If you’re new to this “whole foods” game, you may think homemade almond milk requires many ingredients and a lot of time and effort. How wrong you would be, dear reader. Homemade almond milk requires but two ingredients: almonds and water. All we need to do is blend these two together until teeny tiny bits of almonds remain, and we will have almond milk! We also need to strain the mixture to get it as creamy and delectable as you see here, so I used a cheese cloth. A nut-milk bag would also work if you’re more of an almond milk veteran. I love it when a recipe is this simple…talk about convenient!

As the name implies, we’re adding some flavorings by way of turmeric and dates. Turmeric is such a buzz word in the foodie community these days, and it’s for good reason! It is anti-inflammatory. It can help reduce the risk of cancer. It can protect against Alzheimers. It offers so many other health benefits, so I love including it in my diet! I also like to add turmeric to almond milk because it makes it such a pretty color; the hue of this almond milk just whispers “yellow,” but it’s enough to know that this milk is special. And don’t forget the dates. As you may know, I am certifiably obsessed with these gooey, sticky fruits (need proof? May I direct your attention here). They add such a wonderful (and natural!) sweetness to anything and everything, and their flavor profile pairs perfectly with the warm turmeric.

Nothing beats an ice-cold glass of this Turmeric Date Almond Milk, especially as the weather starts to break! Paired with cookies, stirred into oatmeal, or drank all by itself, Turmeric Date Almond Milk is sure to become a staple in your fridge!