I’ve brought home the Silk Original All Natural Soymilk for review yesterday, to try as a low-fat, soy-based substitute for dairy-based milk products. The package says that this product contains 90 calories per 8-ounce serving, and has fifty percent more calcium than dairy milk.
Still though, I’d avoid Silk Original Soymilk when on a diet, as the added sugar (though it is evaporated cane juice) can make me crave this original flavor soy drink excessively.
I find this soy drink approximately the same as dairy low-fat white milk in texture. The original flavor is sort of like cow’s milk. But since is a soy-based product, there are differences. Indeed this is by no means cow’s milk.
I very much enjoy the Silk brand soy drink original flavor. This product is among my favorites of all the brands I’ve tried. Silk drink is a great-tasting, thirst-quenching treat right from a glass, or sometimes, when I’m really thirsty, right from the carton. It accepts added chocolate or strawberry flavorings quite well, and for those of you who are not overly impressed with the soy flavor, you can easily mask it with other flavors.
Benefits, Pros, Features, and Advantages
- No bland taste from this soy drink product from Silk. The added sugar and mildness of soy flavor solves that problem quite deliciously.
- 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.
- Silk original soy drink is made with only whole soybeans (not extracted soy proteins).
- At roughly $2.98 per half-gallon carton, Silk brand original soy drink is priced on par with other similar products I’ve reviewed.
- This drink has only 0.5 grams of saturated fat, no cholesterol, and contains a bit of “good” fat, and 1 gram of fiber per serving. But it does contain 6 grams of sugar per serving. So be careful not to enjoy too much at one sitting. These great numbers suggest that this product is indeed a heart-healthy soy product.
- The packaging protects this soy beverage from excessive light, which can also impact the flavor as well as sap some of the nutrition. It has a pale, ivory color.
- This Silk milk-alternative has some additives; including calcium carbonate, sea salt, carrageenan, natural flavors, and several vitamin additives.
- 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 original drink inside, that can destroy its chocolaty almond flavor.
- This soy milk product is available at health food and 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 color and consistency of this dairy milk replacement. Its opacity resembles traditional dairy-based white milk.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns
- 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 evaporated cane juice.
- Due to the sugar content, in my opinion, it’s easy to consume excess calories via this product. This product’s lightly sweet soy flavor still tests one’s choice to consume in moderation thus. It’s got a delicious and addictive flavor in spite of the soybeans being the predominant ingredient.
- As it is, diabetics should watch their blood sugar readings extra closely when consuming Silk Original All Natural soy milk, as it contains a fair amount of sugar.
Product Rating
To condense my thoughts then, I think Silk Original All Natural Soymilk is a tasty, good value for the dollar. I especially like that it has relatively little added sugar. So I’d rate this product at 93 out of 100.
Where To Buy Silk Original All Natural Soymilk
Look for it in the red and white half-gallon carton with the blue Silk logo on the front, and the white cap on top, in the refrigerated dairy section. Do some good for your health and check out this low-sugar alternative to original flavored regular 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.
- 2012-04-07: Originally published.