Silk Fruit & Protein Strawberry Banana Soy Drink Review

I purchased several Silk products yesterday for review, including this Silk Fruit & Protein Strawberry Banana Soy Drink. I’m always seeking low-fat, soy-based substitutes for dairy-based milk products with an added twist of sweet and fruity flavor, as has this one. The package says that this product contains 150 calories per 8-ounce serving, and has 20% juice.

Still though, I’d avoid Silk Fruit & Protein when on a diet, as the added sugar (though it is evaporated cane juice) can make me crave this beverage excessively. I also find that nervous habits such as nail-biting and skin picking can intensify if I consume more than one or two glasses of this beverage in a day’s time; no doubt due to the sugar.

I find the texture and thickness of this strawberry flavored soy drink approximately the same as dairy low-fat white milk, though it’s definitely sweeter. But since is a soy-based product, there are differences.

I enjoy this particular banana and strawberry combination flavor. Silk drink is a great-tasting, thirst-quenching treat from a glass, or sometimes, when really thirsty, right from the carton.

Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages

No bland taste from this soy drink product from Silk. The added sugar and mildness of soy and strawberry and banana flavors solves that problem completely.
It’s lactose free and dairy free as well.
It’s a good source of protein, at 5 grams per 1-cup serving. The label also says that this drink is an excellent source of calcium, and vitamin D.
The soy protein within is entirely plant-based, which Silk holds in high esteem.
It’s flavored with four juices, including pear, apple, strawberry, and banana puree.
This drink has no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and contains 2 grams of fiber per serving. But it does contain 24 grams of sugar per serving. So be careful not to enjoy too much at one sitting. With the exception of the higher sugar, these great numbers suggest that this product is indeed a heart-healthy soy product.
The packaging protects this soy beverage from excessive light. Too much light can impact the flavor as well as sap some of the nutrition. So the opacity of the carton is a key factor in protecting and preserving the flavor.
The one-half gallon version of this Silk product comes in a carton; not a plastic bottle, and I believe that its taste is thus, far less degraded by the leeching plastic compounds from plastic bottles that transfer to the berry soy drink inside.
At around $2.98 per half-gallon carton, this all natural juice blend soy beverage is priced on par with other similar products I’ve reviewed.
This soy milk product is available at bigger grocery stores like Walmart, Giant Eagle, and Hometown Market.
It stays fresh for nearly two months after the purchase date in the refrigerator. So this product is great to stock pile. After opening, it remains fresh for seven to ten days, again, in the refrigerator.
I like the bright red color and consistency of this product. Its opacity resembles traditional dairy-based white milk, which further reinforces the idea that you’re getting substantial protein when you consume this.
While this brand does not have added DHA omega-3 fatty acids, the label indicates that it comes bundled with extra added vitamins. Plus, it is soy-based, and as such, has lots of healthy soy protein.
This product is NON GMO Project verified. So it has no genetically modified ingredients.

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

You need to shake this product vigorously prior to each pouring, as it tends to quickly separate in the carton.
The sugar content is quite high per serving in my view.
To produce a lower glycemic index product, thereby making this product better for diabetics, Silk might use pure agave nectar or stevia even, to sweeten this product, rather than the concentrated sugar cane juice.
Due to the sugar content, in my opinion, it’s quite easy to consume excess calories via this product. This product’s berry flavor, still tests one’s resolve to drink in moderation. It’s got a delicious and addictive flavor in spite of the soy flour being the heaviest ingredient.
Diabetics should thus watch their blood sugar counts extra closely after drinking this product.

Ingredients List

All natural soybase (filtered water, soy flour), filtered water, juice blend (filtered water, pear, apple, and strawberry juices from concentrate, banana puree), all natural evaporated cane juice, pectin, citric acid, natural flavors, calcium lactate, tricalcium phosphate, colors from fruits and vegetables, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), gellan gum, vitamin D2.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1 cup, or 240 milliliters. Servings per container: 8.
Calories: 150. Calories from fat: 15.
Total fat: 1.5 grams, 2% DV.
Saturated fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
Trans fat: 0 grams.
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
Sodium: 30 milligrams, 1% DV.
Potassium: 290 milligrams, 8% DV.
Total carbohydrate: 29 grams, 10% DV.
Dietary fiber: 2 grams, 7% DV.
Sugars: 24 grams.
Protein: 5 grams, 10% DV.
Vitamin A: 0% DV.
Calcium: 20% DV.
Vitamin C: 100% DV.
Vitamin D: 25% DV.
Iron: 4% DV.
Folate: 6%.

Product Rating

I believe that Silk Fruit & Protein Banana Strawberry Soy Drink is a delicious and reasonably cheap treat. I’m mostly pleased with this particular recipe, although I’m a bit put off by the high sugar content. So I’d rate it at 80 out of 100.

Where To Buy Silk Fruit & Protein Strawberry Banana Soy Drink

Look for this product in the strawberry-red and white carton with the blue Silk logo on the front, and the matching blue cap on top, in the refrigerated dairy section at your favorite larger grocery store.

References

Revision History

2015-01-16: Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, revised tag and category assignments, fixed typos, and adjusted ad placements.
2012-06-13: Originally published.