Does Almond Milk Break a Fast?

If you are trying to fast, it can be complicated to determine what counts as breaking your fast and what does not. It’s important not to go completely strict and refuse to drink anything, as you are at risk of getting dehydrated – but is almond milk okay to drink?

Technically, almond milk will break a fast, yes. It contains calories, and therefore it is not okay to drink if you are fasting. You can drink water, but any drinks with calories in them will break your fast. Don’t drink almond milk until you are ready to break the fast.

Let’s find out a bit more about how fasting works and how almond milk fits into this picture. This will put you in control and make it easier to ensure you are doing what you want to do when fasting.

Does Almond Milk Break A Fast?

Generally speaking, drinking almond milk while fasting breaking your fast, yes. 

Of course, it isn’t quite that simple, and whether it breaks the fast or not actually depends on two factors: the kind of almond milk you choose to drink and the amount of it that you drink.

It is not as black and white as “one drop of almond milk = fast broken.”

If you wish to avoid breaking your fast, you will therefore need to make sure that you have considered two things: the calories and the quantity. 

Think about the amount of sugar you are consuming, and this will help you to determine whether you are breaking the fast or not.

We are going to look at these two factors below – whether unsweetened and small quantities of almond milk count as breaking a fast or not.

Does Unsweetened Almond Milk Break A Fast?

If you are going to drink almond milk during a fast, you should make sure that you are choosing unsweetened almond milk.

Sweetened almond milks will have considerably higher levels of calories in them than unsweetened.

To be absolutely technical, consuming anything with any calories is considered breaking a fast, so even unsweetened almond milk may take away some of the benefits of fasting. 

Many dietitians recommend only drinking water, and not consuming any calories at all.

This is because a true fast involves reducing the frequency with which your body secretes insulin, which is the hormone that stores fat.

Consuming anything with calories could increase the insulin secretion again, and will reduce the effectiveness of the fast.

However, most people do allow themselves to consume a small number of calories, as long as the number is kept low.

This makes it easier to fast, which makes people more likely to manage it. It also allows them to consume things like tea and coffee, which many people find is crucial for their daily routines.

In order to keep the calories low, choosing unsweetened almond milk is a must. This has far fewer calories than sweetened almond milk, and consuming a small quantity will have a much smaller impact on your fast. 

To give an example, unsweetened Blue Diamond almond milk contains 1 gram of carbohydrates in a cup, while sweetened Blue Diamond almond milk contains a full 8 grams.

You can see what a difference the sweetener makes!

Does A Splash Of Almond Milk Break A Fast?

As mentioned above, the quantity is the second significant factor.

If you are going to be really strict, even a splash of almond milk can break a fast, but most people will still allow this, and will still enjoy most of the benefits of fasting.

Of course, a “splash” is not a strict measure of almond milk.

Most people try to stick to less than 1 g of protein and 1 g of carbohydrates in order to avoid breaking the fast.

In practical terms, this often means using less than a third of a cup of almond milk throughout the fast (assuming you are also opting for unsweetened almond milk).

This may limit what kind of coffee you can make if you wish to use it in coffee, because you need at least 1.5 cups of almond milk if you want to make a latte.

For other coffees, however, you may find that a third of a cup is sufficient, and you can therefore still enjoy a hot drink without breaking your fast.

Does Almond Milk Creamer Break A Fast?

Unfortunately, a single serving of almond milk creamer contains a gram of protein and 3 grams of carbohydrates. 

That means that using a serving of creamer in your tea or coffee will result in your fast being broken.

To adhere to the rule of 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrates, you need to be using less than a third of a serving, or you will be consuming too many carbohydrates.

Creamer is generally not considered fast-friendly, therefore, and should be avoided when you are fasting.

Does Coffee With Almond Milk Break A Fast?

Drinking a cup of coffee with a small amount of almond milk will technically break a fast, but many people allow this.

The almond milk and coffee combined will not contain many calories and should make little difference to the benefits of fasting.

As mentioned, consuming any calories at all will break a fast, which means that coffee and almond milk are not okay if you want to maintain a true fast.

But in general, they will only have a small impact, and most people find that it makes fasting much more tolerable.

As long as you are using unsweetened almond milk in small quantities, it should be okay while you are fasting.

Measure your almond milk first to make sure you aren’t drinking more than a third of a cup.

Remember that this is cumulative, so if you are drinking multiple cups of coffee, you will need to split the almond milk between them.

Black coffee will not break a fast, as its calories are extremely low, so it shouldn’t have any impact on your fast.

Does Almond Milk Break A Keto Fast?

Keto fasts are a little different from strict fasts, and do allow for the consumption of a few calories, provided the calories aren’t enough to take your body out of the state of ketosis.

It is possible to consume some almond milk and remain in ketosis, and therefore a small amount of unsweetened almond milk should not break a keto fast.

As long as your overall carbohydrate intake for the day remains below 50 grams, your body should stay in ketosis, and therefore almond milk should not be a problem as long as you moderate the quantities that you drink.

Remember, a third of a cup contains less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, and small amounts are therefore not an issue.

A lot of people use almond milk to help themselves get through keto fasts, but do make sure that you are choosing one that is unsweetened, or making your own at home.

Is Almond Milk A Good Drink To Break A Fast?

You can use almond milk to break a fast, and many people believe that it is easy on the stomach.

If you want to use sweetened almond milk, this is much more likely to break your fast, and some people use it to ease themselves out of fasting mode.

Even a small amount of sweetened almond milk will break your fast, so be aware of this, and drink it consciously.

If you wish to break the fast with unsweetened almond milk, you can drink a little more than recommended above, and this should help your body to start producing insulin again.

This will work for ketosis fasts too; drinking a small amount of sweetened almond milk or a larger amount of unsweetened will restart the insulin production and take your body out of ketosis.

What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting?

Staying hydrated while you are fasting is critical to ensuring that the fast is healthy, so make sure you are drinking liquids regularly.

Most people recommend drinking water only, but if water doesn’t appeal or you find you can’t drink enough of it, consider the following options:

• Tea (with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, or sweetened milks)
• Coffee (with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, or sweetened milks)

That might not seem like a lot of choices, but the truth is that almost all drinks contain calories, and will therefore break a fast if you drink them. 

This even includes things like coconut water, fruit juice, and other drinks that we think of as being healthy.

You should not consume these while fasting, because they will cause insulin production and break the fast.

Conclusion

Consuming almond milk while fasting does technically break the fast and will cause some insulin production.

But most people consider this acceptable, especially if it helps them fast, where they otherwise might not do so.

Make sure that you opt for unsweetened almond milk, and only use a small quantity in your drinks.