I purchased this Great Value Vanilla Organic Soymilk for review last week, and to test as a low-fat substitute for other, sweeter vanilla soy drink products. The carton says that this soy milk packs just 90 calories per 1-cup serving, which is 40 calories less than the chocolate version of this same product that I reviewed earlier.. Vitamins A, B2, B12, D2, as well as calcium carbonate have been added for nutritional completeness.
However, I’d suggest limiting consumption of Great Value organic vanilla soymilk while dieting, as the added cane sugar (though it is organic cane sugar) increases the addictive aspects of this drink in my view.
I find this vanilla soy “milk” roughly the same as dairy low-fat vanilla milk in texture. The mild vanilla flavor is more subtle than vanilla flavored dairy ice cream, and is perhaps a bit weak for my taste. While I enjoy the Great Value brand soy drink vanilla flavor, I desire a stronger vanilla flavor. Great Value organic vanilla soy drink tastes pretty good. It’s a thirst-quenching treat right from a glass, or sometimes, I forgo the cup and drink right from the carton, but only when no one else is here. I swear.
Benefits, Pros, Features, and Advantages
- Great Value vanilla soy drink is definitely soy-based, and certified by the USDA to be organic.
- This product is made with only whole soybeans (not extracted soy proteins).
- At a cost of $2.50 per half-gallon carton, this drink is priced over fifty cents less than other similar products I’ve tested, and is over a dollar cheaper than organic fat-free cow’s milk.
- While this brand does not have added DHA omega-3 fatty acids, the label indicates that it comes bundled with extra added vitamins.
- Great Value vanilla flavored soy drink has only 0.5 grams of saturated fat, no cholesterol, contains some “good” fat, and 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving. But it also contains 6 grams of sugar per serving. So watch out not to enjoy too much at a single sitting. These good nutritional numbers suggest that this vanilla soy milk is indeed a heart-healthy beverage.
- The packaging protects the contents from light, which can adversely affect its flavor as well as neutralize some of the nutrition. Its cream-color resembles that of Parmesan cheese and looks like other soy drinks I’ve sampled. You’d easily recognize this as a soy beverage in your cup.
- Also, the one-half gallon version of this Great Value product is packaged in a carton; not a plastic bottle, and its taste therefore is less impaired by the leeching plastic compounds from plastic bottles that might transfer to the vanilla drink inside, which can destroy its signature vanilla soy flavor.
- Great Value sweetened vanilla soy drink keeps for well over a month in the refrigerator. So this product is excellent for stock piling if you’ve got the refrigerator space. After opening, it keeps seven to ten days.
- I like the color and consistency of this vanilla soy drink. It closely resembles traditional dairy-based milk in terms of opacity.
- No bland taste in this product from Great Value. The added vanilla and sugar solve that problem effectively.
Disadvantages of Great Value Vanilla Organic Soymilk
- This Great Value vanilla-flavored soymilk product is available only at Walmart at present.
- I found the vanilla flavor to be weak in this product. But the sugar content is relatively low for drinks like this. So the vanilla flavor is still quite perceivable.
- Due to the sugar content, in my opinion, it’s easy to consume excess calories via this product. This product’s sweet vanilla flavor tests one’s commitment to consume in moderation thus.
- Diabetics should therefore, watch their blood sugar readings extra closely when consuming Great Value Vanilla Organic Soy Milk, as it contains less, but still significant amounts of sugar.
- To produce a lower glycemic index product, thereby making this product more suitable for diabetics, Great Value might use pure agave nectar instead of the organic cane sugar to sweeten this drink instead of the organic cane juice.
Great Value Vanilla Organic Soymilk Rating
Over all, I think Great Value vanilla Organic Soymilk is indeed a great value. I enjoy it now and again. So get yourself a half-gallon at your favorite Walmart grocer and find out what all the soy hubbub is about. I’d rate this soy beverage at 88 out of 100.
Where To Buy Great Value Vanilla Organic Soymilk
Look for this vanilla soymilk in the blue and white carton with the blue letters near the top, with the blue Great Value logo on the front, and with the white cap, in Walmart’s refrigerated dairy section at. Do your health proud and try this low-saturated-fat alternative to dairy milk.
References
Revision History
- : Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, revised tag and category assignments, fixed typos, and adjusted ad placements.
- 2012-04-04: Originally published.