It took me some time to see the soy yogurt side of things - after years of a relationship with Greek-style yogurt. Coconut milk yogurt is tasty, too, but a bit harder to find.
Since almondmilk is my favorite non-dairy milk choice, obviously a yogurt version of it is a promising find. This is also great news for anyone with a soy allergy who happens to be vegan.
A brand called Amande (they are nearly non-existent via search engine) appeared on the yogurt shelf at Whole Foods. Hesitant when I did not see a plain or vanilla variety, I decided on the strawberry flavor.
Bad move, I know. Flavored yogurt has never held much appeal for me. If I want berries in my yogurt, I'll add fresh ones. If I want sugar in my yogurt, I'll add maple or agave. I don't want to taste "essence of strawberry" with a few bits of fruit chunks.
I want strawberries that were sliced only seconds ago, and I do not want my yogurt to be a bubblegum shade of PINK.
Victoria's Secret and my yogurt should not be in the same marketing bed together.
That said....How does it stack up to soy yogurt?
Nutritionally, it is very similar, and contains live cultures, but the major downfall? There is no calcium. Calcium is one of my most significant needs as a female vegan, and adding soy yogurt to my diet has helped me satisfy that requirement.
In fact, there is very little nutritional benefit in this yogurt. Even the protein amount is insignificant. You'd be better off drinking a glass of almond milk or snacking on a handful of almonds.
I tried to get over the color, I really did, and then I dipped my spoon. I noticed right off that the almond yogurt was much thicker than the soy yogurt.
Then I took the first plunge and immediately thought of the word STARCHY.
Another word: GUMMY.
I scanned the label again and yep - Rice Starch, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Tapioca.
I cautiously dipped back in and just found myself disappointed. Not to mention I had 3 containers of soy milk yogurt smugly staring at me, waiting for me to crawl back.
Then I realized something. Amande is the Victoria's Secret of yogurt. It's just not good enough. The quality is not quite there. It'll never be La Perla.
Maybe, if it was plain or vanilla, I could get over the interesting texture, but somehow, I don't think the trade off is quite worth it.
Not when the delicious Whole Soy yogurts give me 35% of my daily calcium and have two very necessary, creamy flavors in their line: Plain and Vanilla. Discreetly sexy.
Previously:
Getting to Know Soy Yogurt: A Love Affair.
Update:
47 comments:
Love this post! It totally looks like the Victoria Secret of yogurt- eww, that pink is pretty vile. I happen to love So Delicious coconut yogurt- it's just a tad pricey. Time to start making my own yogurt...
Thanks for this post! I saw this yogurt for the first time in my local Whole Foods and I almost bought one out of sheer excitement but I'm also a plain yogurt girl. As for the nutritional benefits - agreed, there isn't much there. Lots of sugar, starchy stuff and none of the goodies us vegans need and want. If there were an unsweetened plain, I'd give it a shot but my doubts coupled with your review = not happening! So thanks for the honesty, pictures and insight :)
Glad it was helpful! The good news is that So Delicious is making a coconut greek yogurt that debuts in May. I have high hopes for it.
I think Whole Soy is leaps and bounds above O'Soy, not to mention the fact that O'Soy isn't vegan. I've been thinking of getting away from soy altogether, though, so yogurt might be out of the picture for me. Not too difficult b/c I only eat it in smoothies. I guess I could try coconut yogurt or almond yogurt, but from your review it seems like Amande isn't worth the money.
I tried it as well, and I completely agree with your comment, "gummy." It's got a weird consistency. Overall, I was disappointed. Only tried the one container, and won't be purchasing it again. On the bright side, I got peach, which was not such a horrifying color. :)
I tried this yogurt last night; the peach flavor. I agree, it was quite gummy, and a bit disappointing. I don't think I'll buy it again. I love your Victoria's Secret comparison, so true!
Whole Soy has a new "Unsweetened" variety, it's great. Finally, real yoghurt for lactards and vegans!
The Whole Soy Unsweetened variety is perfect - i am so glad they came out with it!
you couldn't have said it better about this yogurt
Soy = Estrogen = Stubborn Belly Fat
Don't believe me...? Read Ori Hofmekler.
You didn't say for which specific reason you need calcium. Depending on what form it comes in/from, calcium can be a KILLER, read and watch David Wolfe.
Sorry to disagree, but I LOVED this yogurt. It has a lot less sugar than soy or coconut yogurts, because it's sweetened with fruit juice, not cane juice or refined sugar. I an vegan also, but I get enough calcium from other sources without having it chemically added, like Wholesoy does. I bought it in a local natural food store, and they said plain and vanilla will be out in 2 weeks in a 24 oz. I can't wait.!!
You are right! Soy has a ton of horrible things going on with it besides from an increase in belly fat. Soy phytoestrogens feed to developing male children instead of milk can develop enhanced female features such as large breast, and even a tendency to become homosexual later in life. Phytoestrogens get even scarier. Women also start taking soy postmenopausal because it relieves affects of menopause. This is great but soy also can increase the growth of breast cancer cells exponentially in women who have it already. VERY SCARY I do not consume soy anymore, only almond milk or rice milk. If you don't believe me or that other individual then read tons of articles written by amazing dietetics professionals and doctors about the subject.
Also true about calcium! The real thing you should be concerned about is taking enough vitamin D because calcium is toxic without it and cannot be absorbed. Most peoples Vitamin D levels are deadly low, as low as 9% the value they should be. SO get tested for your Vitamin D levels, stop wearing so much sunscreen, and get out in the sun to REALLY improve your health.
i had the blueberry amande. allergic to soy and dairy plus intolerant to the high fat in coconut i was so pleased to find this. i sprinkled enjoy life's cinnamon granola on top and really enjoyed it. i take plenty of calcium in supplement form, and i get protein other ways. what i needed from this snack was energy and enjoyment amidst a busy workday and that is what i got.
After 15 years of research and producing soyfoods, we at WholeSoy & Co just launched an Unsweetened Certified Organic vegan soy yogurt in 24 oz containers. It has the super probiotic culture L. Plantarum LM along with L. Acidophiles, and B Bifidum. In addition it has 10g of protein and 50% calcium per serving. Enjoy, I have it every morning with granola and fruit. See www.wholesoyco.com.
I like this stuff. As a vegan, I'm getting the things I need from other sources and am always looking for interesting things to eat. I just find it odd and slightly disturbing that there is so little info about who is making this.
Thanks for your comments everyone.
Personally, my main dislike for the yogurt was the texture. If they could improve it, I would give it another try. It seems like the kind of texture that you either love or hate.
As for soy yogurt, I try to limit my intake of soy and always choose non-gmo sources.
I agree with getting protein and calcium in other ways, but sneaking in a little bit of extra calcium is one of the main reasons I started eating yogurt - and I ended up loving it because of the flavor. The best of both worlds.
I'm excited to see that So Delicious is coming out with a coconut greek-style yogurt in May, so check back for that review next month. I'll also be making my own coconut yogurt and will post a recipe for that for any coconut yogurt fans.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!
Can't wait to see your coconut yogurt recipe. I've tried to make vegan yogurt NUMEROUS times with homemade nut milks (and store-bought rice/nut milks), but it always comes out extremely liquidy and just seems "off".... I'm too scared to try it! Do u have any nutmilk yogurt recipes?
Hey Shell,
I am planning on using coconut meat and acidophilus to culture it, then dehydrating for 3 hours to make it "thick". Will post soon.
I like to try different yogurts, just to see what's out there. I tried Amande's Cherry version, and wow did you hit the nail on the head. I didn't think much of starchy till you mentioned it, but the gummy was definitely there (and I went and read the ingredients and saw that too). My mom can't have calcium, so I thought this might be good for her, but after tasting it, the gelatinous texture is just really too bizarre, and the taste not that good.
Interesting review, thanks for the info. I hated Ricera, so I'm guessing I won't like Amande either. :-( And I can't handle the tapioca in So Delicious.
Just one thing confuses me, though... Almonds have about the same calcium as soybeans, per unit volume. The milk-making process isn't that different for soymilk and nut milks, so I don't see how soymilk would have substantially more calcium unless it's fortified. And if that's the case, why not just take a pill? Same difference, just less convenient...
Amande is like a godsend for someone like myself, who is allergic to soy and dairy. I found Ricera and coconut milk yogurts to be too runny...and sweetened strangely. Compared to the limited other stuff out there for me, I love the Amande - texture, taste, and all. I also love that it's sweetened with fruit juice; and I boost the protein content by adding slivered almonds or walnuts.
When I ate dairy yogurts my favorite was Yoplait Thick and Creamy style. So, naturally, I love the Amande. I tried a couple different flavors and thought they tasted great. Not as good as Whole Soy, but better (not as sickly sweet) than So Delicious. The texture is really thick which may be weird for some, but I think runny yogurt is gross. I will have to read the label more carefully, though, because I do prefer nutritionally complex foods... :)
My hubby and I are vegetarian, but we don't drink any milk but almond milk, and we don't eat much cheese (anymore). The main thing keeping us from being vegan used to be our love of cheese, yogurt, and honey (amazing for allergies if you have local). We finally found a local store that sells almond "cheese"...the texture and taste is amazing (we like it better than Follow Your Heart) and the only bad thing is it doesn't really melt, but we put up with that. When we found Amande we got the cherry and the coconut, and both LOVE it! We haven't tried any other flavors, although we just bought them. I'm currently breastfeeding, and just found out I'm 6wks pregnant, so getting my Vitamin D is a concern of mine, which is why I take a vitamin each day. The hubs is allergic to soy, so this is a great alternative. However, I can understand the super-pink color making you dislike the yogurt, but I didn't find it to be gummy at all...in fact I thought it almost had the consistency of Greek yogurt. We haven't tried the coconut yogurts...we'll have to check them out. Great post overall though!!
Thanks for the comments! I tried the yogurt again, so check out my follow-up post to see what I thought:
Second Date: Amande Almondmilk Yogurt
As someone who is allergic to dairy, soy & every nut but almond and pine (including coconut), I am THRILLED to have this yogurt in my life. Ricella ... well that stuff is just NASTAY. It should only be fed to disobedient children who don't respond to detention! I have made my own (a la chocolate covered katie's blog), and it was very similar to this yogurt, except this was more tart and didn't take hours to make! I nearly cried in the health food store when I found it. It's okay if you don't like it, I'll eat your share! ;)
Thanks for reviewing this Kelly, I hadn't heard of this yogurt before. Doesn't sound like my thing, but good to have on my radar for go dairy free as people are always asking for soy-free yogurts.
I would try Amande if it was certified organic. Non-organic almonds are being pasteurized and sprayed with pesticides. A good reason for any health-conscious company to be concerned with using certified organic almonds! And definitely offer a plain & unsweetened variety so people can add their choice of sweeteners & flavors!
wow, i can't believe I'm reading this, andnot to mention all these comments of people who obviously haven't got a clue.... this stuff is amazing, with none of the risks associated with consuming soy and it's delicious... don't listen to these palleteless internet non-identities...go out there and try it for yourself! This was one of the first websites that came up when I googled the company and I'm dissapointed to see in innacurate and borderline slanderous link at the top of the search engines. i completely disagree with almost every point made and feel this is one of the few items that I'm actually excited to add to my grocery list... I am very picky by the way, and usually shop for fruits, veggies, raw nuts, ezekial 4:9, legumes, and as few processed foods as possible including tofu and definitely never seitan or gluten based non-meats. thanks and have a great day! - Joseph, Brooklyn NY
I have an issue with dairy and soy (soy = estrogen .. breast cancer in my family) so I was happy when I saw this in my local Foodtown supermarket. I had the raspberry flavor and while I usually prefer vanilla or plain with fresh fruit this was pretty good. I have the peach and coconut flavors at home so I'm looking forward to trying those. Would love to see vanilla and plain ... maybe soon.
I agree. It is funky. I really enjoy ricera. If you can find that brand at your whole foods its soy,dairy and carageenan free. :) and comes in Vanilla! <3
I believe there is a plan to add more calcium to Amande, I'll try and find out and post it here. As far as getting other nutrients, I am like many of the others and get what I need from other sources. I use Amande almost as a treat and usually have it with cereal, granola, or some fresh fruit. They have a coconut flavor that is out and slowly making its way to the stores. I was skeptical about it at first but it is really good. The flavor is very mild and it goes well with almost anything you put in it.
bleck. this yogurt is pretty wet soggy fruit papery tasting. i like to freeze my greek yogurts, if I'm having a dairy one at all. so I thought i would try this frozen. I bought blueberry & cherry. the blueberry one is disgusting. I left cherry at home in the fridge, so will try that one w/o freezing it. but if it's anything like this one. which looks pretty tasty when it's frozen, but as soon as it thaws in your mouth, you expect it to be like frozen almond ice cream and its NOT AT ALL. this is dreck. bleh. i don't like throwing away money but I can't finish it. i have NOT found the So Delicious Coco milk Greek yet in the chicago area. :(
I tried the blueberry flavor and loved it. I had no issues with texture. I tried it next to the So Delicious Coconut blueberry yogurt... it tastes very similar, but I like that it is sweetened with fruit juice instead of cane sugar. Although I will keep buying So Delicious Plain yogurt, I will definitely be eating more Amande. I try to use soy sparingly and I get enough of it in other aspects of my diet, so no soy yogurt for me.
Haha this post is pretty funny. I actually saw that brand in the store a few days and contemplated getting some. I'm glad I didn't
I just bought both vanilla and plain. The flavor is ok (I like plain best), but the texture is awful. All I can think to do with it now is add it to smoothies or in baking.
I love this yougurt. For someone who can't eat soy or diary versions, this is a great alturnative. It is flavorful, has a creamy consistency and the almond flavor is to die for. It is great with Glutten free Cinnamon Raisin Crunch from Enjoy Life.
I found this post because I just bought this for the first time and wanted to confirm I'm not crazy.
No, it's not better in Plain. It's like flavorless cottage cheese.
Amande is way better than most of the soy yogurts many of which have hidden animal ingredients like O'Soy. Plus the cultures in Amande are vegan many of the soy ones still moo. As far as taste & texture goes go ahead and drink your soy milk the stuff hardly hardens half the time and is gritty. I would have preferred more fruit in Amande but outside of that I think it beats the soy puke by a mile.
Bleh, I wish I had seen this before I bought this product since it has come to my area. It's disgusting and that's putting it nicely. It's like equal parts jelly and almond milk were slopped together. The texture is so offputting I could barely keep down the few bites I forced myself to eat. I stirred and stirred and felt it only made the chunks worse. It's way too sweet and the texture is terribly awkward. It shouldn't even be marketed as a yogurt-like product, it isn't creamy at all. It's disgusting and that's putting it nicely.
I love cherry Amande. I can't eat soy anything. Consistency is ok and really nothing to complain about. Stop telling people not to try it. Its actually delish and a great base for additional fruit, granola and other toppings. Those of us who want yogurt and can't eat dairy or soy have limited options as it is. I will go by 10 today and continue to by the so delicious coconut yogurts as well.
I wish this would have been a more positive review, but I may still try it. I love yogurt, but I'm lactose intolerant and didn't know that the phytoestrogens in soy lead to fibroids and breast cancer etc. Luckily my fibroid diagnosis alerted me before I got to the point of breast cancer, but I'm still worried because I drank soy milk for about 7 years before realizing how dangerous it was for women who haven't entered menopause. I'd like to try the Coconut Greek one people are talking about, but I'll still give this a chance.
Interest Post here,I just bought the Amande at Whole Foods looking for a substatute for Soy very disappointed purchased 5 for $ 5 my mistake should have tried it first.
Trying to get away from as much dairy as possible will continue my search.
Just had this in the cherry flavour and I am not sure why calcium was nothing becuase my container says 30% of my daily calcium???? Plus the taste was amazing!!! My grocery store also carries a plain flavor?
Not sure what everybody is complaining about, i just bought and ate the Blueberry Amande and thought it was fantastic!! Well done Amande!!!
I haven't tried amande yet, but, in general, I'm pretty okay with yogurt. So much so, in fact that it ranks as one of my favorite must-haves before a gym session, along with some of the best pre workout supplements. It's both healthy and gives me a nice energy boost - there's not much more I can really ask for.
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