Soy Milk: Which is most delicious?

I'm thinking of trying soy milk out on my Kashi Golean, just for a change from my usual skim cow's milk. Are there any benefits to drinking soy, like more protein?

My store carries two brands: West Soy Non-Fat Vanilla (90 cal/cup) and Soy Dream Vanilla Enriched (120 cal/cup.)

I kinda wanna try the vanilla, as long as it's not too sweet. I'm concerned that the plain will taste chalky. But I do get loopy from too much sugar then crash and burn like a three year old -- I can't even drink juice.

Any advice from experienced soy milk drinkers would be much appreciated!

sorry your first response is not from an actual soy milk drinker, but my hubby drinks it. (not for health reasons, but just because he loves the taste, of the vanilla ones.) he likes the soy dream well enough, but has never had the west brand. if you are in Houston, TX or the surrounding area there is a local brand called Banyan that is his FAVORITE! they make some great tofu things too.

Satyrswoman: Thanks for the tip! I'll keep my eye out for Banyan, though I live in NYC. And I think I'll try the vanilla out first, for taste.

also not a soy milk drinker HOWEVER I do drink unsweetend vanilla almond milk. Its only 40 calories per CUP and is delicious, not too sweet at all. Its a little more watery than skim milk, but for 40 calories, its amazing.

The only soy milk I can stand is Trader Joe's 100% organic soy milk - unsweetened, unflavored, just pressed soy.  That's what tastes most like milk to me, especially on cereal.  Just a weird gift of mother nature.

There's nothing in soy to taste chalky as long as nothing's been added to it... like Vanilla flavoring, IMO.

I've only had two varieties of soy milk.  The first was many years ago, when my mom was drinking it to help with her hot flashes.  She was drinking the stuff that is packaged in a box, regular flavor.  I didn't care for that at all.

When I changed my eating habits a couple years ago, I decided to give soy milk another try.  My grocery store sells a brand called "8th Continent."  It's sold in the dairy case, which I think makes a difference.  It's probably all in my head, but I think it tastes much fresher than the boxed stuff.  It comes in plain or vanilla flavored, and also in light or regular.  I really like the light vanilla - only 60 calories per 8 ounces (it's in the C-C database here) and in my opinion not too sweet.  It's awesome in coffee, makes great yogurt smoothies, and I like having it around to satisfy a sweet craving or when I want some extra protein.

I used to drink Westsoy vanilla. That stuff is great. That's the brand I would try, unless you can find Silk somewhere, which is just as good and comes in different flavors (even eggnog this time of year).

Every morning I have 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk in my cereal and/or coffee and I love it!~ It's 80 cal for 1 cup and I never need more than 1/2 cup for cereal and less than 1/4 cup for my coffee.

I've never had soy milk or almond milk but how does it taste? and how does the tast compare to milk. I love cereal with milk but I dont know if Id like the sweet tast for the vanilla.

My husband is lactose AND soy intolerant and he drinks Rice Dream. He uses it on cereal and loves it. We use it for any recipe that calls for milk and it makes the lightest most delicious pancakes (an infrequent treat)!

I switched to Soy and Almond milk about 2 months ago and it's great really.  I prefer the Soy because it tastes a bit more like milk to me and the almond milk does have an almond taste.  I have read some stuff about estrogen and how men shouldn't drink too much soy milk, but it sounds more like propaganda from the milk industry than anything.

Am I the only one? I drink Silk, light, plain and it is very good... I tried 8th continent and it was disgusting! I have also tried packaged soy milks (as in not refrigerated) and they were not good at all...

Original Post by v_avila:

Am I the only one? I drink Silk, light, plain and it is very good... I tried 8th continent and it was disgusting! I have also tried packaged soy milks (as in not refrigerated) and they were not good at all...

 Silk Light plain is my favourite too! They don't sell 8th Continent in Canada though... I'd like to try it.

If you're buying soy milk to add to cereal, I'd suggest trying plain. The sugar from the cereal + the sugar in vanilla soy milk = too sweet for my liking. Silk Light provides just enough sweetness to cereal and it's good to drink on its own too!

I am also a Silk advocate - I buy plain (the red container) or unsweetened (the teal container). While I find the vanilla and chocolate ones delicious to drink straight, I prefer to avoid the additional sugar if I am using it in cereal or a recipe - my cereal is sweet enough on its own, thank you, and the mashed potatoes don't really need any vanilla flavor. I don't think that soy milk tastes like actual milk, but I like it much better! Just stay away from the carob-flavored Edensoy. That stuff is nasty.

i use silk light vanilla in my kashi go lean crunch with blueberries for breakfast its my favorite meal of the day!

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! It really does seem to be a matter of individual taste.

My cereal is Kashi Golean which is unsweetened, at least it tastes that way to me (and that's why I like it.) So I think I will try the Vanilla first, as my introduction.

Now I'm curious to try almond milk. I LOVE the taste of almonds! And 40 cal/cup is amazing.

Silk light plain, or Silk Unsweetened

Next time I buy milk I am giong to try Almond Milk then Rice Milk =)

Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze is the best! It is only 40cals per cup and it is creamy not watery because it has some fat in it from the almonds.

I also love Silk Light Vanilla Soy milk. It is about (I think) 80 cals per cup but it is also a good alternative to cows milk.

If you are concerned about the differences in the sugar and protein contents of the different types of milk just compare them at the grocery store to see which one fits your needs best.

But overall for calories control with good taste and versatility I think you cant beat Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Breeze!

For soy milk, my fave is 8th continent light vanilla.  I find that the ones that come in a carton (and are therefore in the refridgerated section) tend not to seperate or get chunks, which the boxed kind do.

Overall, though, I prefer almond milk (ETA: which does not get chunky, even from a box), and I agree, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (the one with 40 cals/cup) is the best.  HOWEVER, I have NEVER seen it anywhere other than Trader Joes, and not everyone is near a TJ's (I'm not any more).  So, if that is not an option, I get either the unsweetened plain almond breeze, or regular Almond Dream (which is only 50 cals/cup, so pretty close)

It's wothwhile to note that almond breeze does not taste like almonds.  Almond Dream does, though.  I actually like the almond taste, but it is noticable if you cook with it, so keep that in mind.

Good luck!  Try them all with an open mind.  None taste like milk, but all are delicious.  I'm sure you'll find one that you like.

I've tried the following: Silk Plus Omega-3, Silk Plain, Silk Vanilla, Silk Unsweetened, Silk Chocolate, Silk Light Plain, 8th Continent Original, and homemade soymilk with and without some sugar.  My vote goes to the homemade sweetened with a little sugar, but if you are looking for a storebought one, I highly sugest Silk Plus Omega-3!

Yeah, 8th continent tastes like barf. Alright, not barf, exactly, but it's way too sweet. 

I feel like you can't really go wrong with Silk. I live in NYC too, and you can find it at almost any bodega.