I purchased the value sized one-half gallon carton of Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk from the Hain Celestial Group for review last week, and to check out as a low-sugar substitute for other, sweetened 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 similar soy products that I’ve reviewed elsewhere. This beverage is not enriched, allowing the full taste of nothing but soy to come through. Just don’t count on this drink for your vitamin A, D3, or calcium.
This is a dieter’s dream drink in my view. Without sugar or other flavorings of any kind, it’s quite mild (some might even describe it as bland), and there’s nary a hint of sweet taste herein. So I’ve found this product to be completely non addictive. Nonetheless, it is still a refined carb, as the soybeans are milled to a fine enough consistency, that they stay largely suspended in the water. But be that as it may be, the net carbs count is low, at just one gram per serving. So as refined carbs go, the ones here are among the least upsetting to the body’s insulin levels.
I find this unflavored soymilk roughly the same as dairy low-fat vanilla milk in terms of texture. The unobtrusive soy flavor is more subtle than vanilla flavored soy drinks, and is perhaps a trifle weak for my taste. But this might just be because I’m so used to drinks with highly exaggerated flavors via the concentrated flavor additives found so often in beverages like this. After a fashion, I’ve gotten used to this unabashed yet subtle taste. It’s a decent, thirst-quenching treat right from a glass or on cereal.
Benefits And Features
- This soy drink is completely soy-based, as it contains no other foods or active ingredients than soy beans.
- It’s certified by the USDA to be organic, as well as Quality Assurance International (QAI).
- This beverage is also verified by the Non GMO Project, to be free of genetically modified ingredients.
- Finally, the American Heart Association has also put their stamp of approval on this product.
- This product is made with only whole organic soybeans (not extracted soy proteins).
- It’s therefore kosher as well as vegetarian-ready.
- This drink costs less than $3 per half-gallon currently.
- It has no added DHA omega-3 fatty acids to alter the flavor.
- It contains only 0.5 grams of saturated fat, no cholesterol, contains some “good” fat, and 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving, making it a good fiber source.
- The carton protects the contents from light, which can adversely affect its flavor as well as neutralize some of the nutrition. Its cream-colored, slightly yellow hue, 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 is packaged in a carton; not a plastic bottle, and its taste therefore is less impaired by the leaching plastic compounds from plastic bottles that might transfer to the soy drink inside, which can destroy its signature soy taste.
- Prior to first opening it, Westsoy soy drink keeps for nearly a year in a cool place.
- It requires no refrigeration until after you crack the seal.
- So this product is excellent for stock piling if you’ve got the pantry space.
- After opening, it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.
- I like the color and consistency of this plain soy drink. It closely resembles traditional dairy-based milk in terms of opacity.
- It’s easy to find this product, in bigger grocery and health food stores.
Disadvantages
- I have little negative to say about this product specifically. It mirrors soy flavor exactly. While this may be a bit too mild for me at times, this is a feature of soybeans themselves, and not specifically of this Westsoy product.
Ingredients
Filtered water, and whole organic soybeans.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 cup, 8 Fl. ounces (240 milliliters). Servings per container: 8.
- Calories: 90. Calories from fat: 40.
- Total fat: 4.5 grams, 7% DV.
- Saturated fat: 0.5 grams, 3% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Polyunsaturated fat: 2.5 grams.
- Monounsaturated fat: 1 gram.
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
- Sodium: 30 milligrams, 1% DV.
- Potassium: 300 milligrams, 9% DV.
- Total carbohydrate: 5 grams, 2% DV.
- Dietary fiber: 4 grams, 17% DV.
- Sugars: 1 gram.
- Protein: 9 grams, 18% DV.
- Vitamin A: 0% DV.
- Calcium: 4% DV.
- Vitamin C: 0% DV.
- Iron: 10% DV.
Beverage Rating
Over all, I believe this product to be of good value and high quality. I enjoy it now and again. So get yourself a half-gallon and find out what all the soy hubbub is about. I’d rate this soy beverage at 92 out of 100.
Where To Buy Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk
Look for this beverage in the blue and white carton with the white letters near the top, with the blue and white Westsoy logo on the front, a picture of a pitcher of this drink with a green landscape in the background on the front, and with the white rectangular cap, at your favorite larger grocery stores and health food outlets.
References
- The NON GMO Project Website
- Quality Assurance International Website
- Soymilk on Wikipedia
- Westsoy Website
Revision History
- 2015-01-16: Moved this piece to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and repaired some typos.
- 2012-07-26: Originally published.