Five different varieties and brands of dairy free yogurt alternative.
One of the hardest foods for me to give up when I transitioned to a vegan diet was yogurt. I truly loved it. It’s a delicious, filling, low fat snack and an easy way to get protein. For Thursday’s Tasting I chose five different dairy-free yogurt alternatives: Almond Dream, So Delicious (Greek style and regular) Silk, and Daiya.
I'm not a fussy eater, but all said, none of the dairy free yogurt alternatives were amazing enough for me to go out and buy again as a dairy yogurt replacement. Each individual yogurt is quite expensive averaging $2.00 per container at Giant compared to regular dairy yogurt, which you can buy for as cheap as $0.50. Sadly I don’t think the plant-based food companies have quite mastered the dairy free yogurt recipe yet. Until they do, I’ll just accept that I’m not eating dairy yogurt anymore and move on.
For this tasting, my favorite was So Delicious Blueberry coconut milk yogurt alternative. The texture and taste are so close to real yogurt and it was quite a treat to eat. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive of this testing at $2.19 per individual container. The worst product in this tasting was Daiya Strawberry Greek style yogurt alternative. I try not to waste food but this is throw away disgusting. I was quite surprised because Daiya cheddar cheese is amazing, creamy, and melts like real dairy cheddar.
Almond Dream, 6 oz, Dairy free, lactose free, gluten free
Flavor: Vanilla
Main ingredient: almonds
Fat: 3g
Calories: 160
Protein: 1 g
Price: $1.69
Taste: Light, slightly creamy, not overly powerful vanilla flavor. Sweet. Not at all similar to a dairy yogurt but still yummy even with a slight chalky protein mix aftertaste.
Texture: Very chunky and needs to be mixed well to get creamy consistency. Slightly watery. Jiggles like Jell-O
So Delicious, Greek Style 6 oz, dairy free, soy free, gluten free,
Flavor: Raspberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4.5g
Calories: 130
Protein: 2g
Price: $1.99
Taste: Not the creamy, thick Greek yogurt you may be used to. Could barely taste the raspberry flavor. Doesn’t taste like much of anything. Strange almost bitter aftertaste with each bite.
Texture: much thicker than regular So Delicious dairy free yogurt alternative. Not quite as thick as regular greek yogurt, but very similar. Doesn’t jiggle and stays in one form. No mixing required.
So Delicious, Coconut milk, 5.3 oz, soy free, dairy free, ** Favorite
Flavor: Blueberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4g
Calories: 130
Protein: 1g
Price: $2.19
Taste: strong blueberry flavor, light, delicious. Sweet. Really quite good and no strange aftertastes. It doesn’t taste like dairy yogurt, but is very similar.
Texture: Creamy, yogurt like. Slightly watery and slimy. Does not jiggle and stays in one form for the most part.
Silk, 5.3 oz, dairy free, gluten free, carrageenan free
Flavor: Peach & Mango
Main ingredient: soymilk
Fat: 3.5 g
Calories: 130
Protein: 6g
Price: $1.49
Taste: creamy, bold peach and mango flavorful, almost tastes like real dairy yogurt but there is a chalky soy flavor after note with each bite, which ruins it.
Texture: no mixing required, creamy same form & look as dairy yogurt. You wouldn’t know the difference based on looks between dairy yogurt and dairy free yogurt.
Daiya, 5.3 oz, Greek style, dairy free, soy free, gluten free
Flavor: Strawberry
Main ingredient: coconut cream, pea protein
Fat: 4.5 g
Calories: 150
Protein: 8g
Price: $1.99
Taste: Awful. Really quite disgusting. Not sweet. Bitter. Does not taste like Strawberry. It’s like an old flavorless protein powder mix gone bad.
Texture: Maintains a solid consistency. Looks just like dairy yogurt. Thick. Creamy.
I'm not a fussy eater, but all said, none of the dairy free yogurt alternatives were amazing enough for me to go out and buy again as a dairy yogurt replacement. Each individual yogurt is quite expensive averaging $2.00 per container at Giant compared to regular dairy yogurt, which you can buy for as cheap as $0.50. Sadly I don’t think the plant-based food companies have quite mastered the dairy free yogurt recipe yet. Until they do, I’ll just accept that I’m not eating dairy yogurt anymore and move on.
For this tasting, my favorite was So Delicious Blueberry coconut milk yogurt alternative. The texture and taste are so close to real yogurt and it was quite a treat to eat. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive of this testing at $2.19 per individual container. The worst product in this tasting was Daiya Strawberry Greek style yogurt alternative. I try not to waste food but this is throw away disgusting. I was quite surprised because Daiya cheddar cheese is amazing, creamy, and melts like real dairy cheddar.
Almond Dream, 6 oz, Dairy free, lactose free, gluten free
Flavor: Vanilla
Main ingredient: almonds
Fat: 3g
Calories: 160
Protein: 1 g
Price: $1.69
Taste: Light, slightly creamy, not overly powerful vanilla flavor. Sweet. Not at all similar to a dairy yogurt but still yummy even with a slight chalky protein mix aftertaste.
Texture: Very chunky and needs to be mixed well to get creamy consistency. Slightly watery. Jiggles like Jell-O
So Delicious, Greek Style 6 oz, dairy free, soy free, gluten free,
Flavor: Raspberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4.5g
Calories: 130
Protein: 2g
Price: $1.99
Taste: Not the creamy, thick Greek yogurt you may be used to. Could barely taste the raspberry flavor. Doesn’t taste like much of anything. Strange almost bitter aftertaste with each bite.
Texture: much thicker than regular So Delicious dairy free yogurt alternative. Not quite as thick as regular greek yogurt, but very similar. Doesn’t jiggle and stays in one form. No mixing required.
So Delicious, Coconut milk, 5.3 oz, soy free, dairy free, ** Favorite
Flavor: Blueberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4g
Calories: 130
Protein: 1g
Price: $2.19
Taste: strong blueberry flavor, light, delicious. Sweet. Really quite good and no strange aftertastes. It doesn’t taste like dairy yogurt, but is very similar.
Texture: Creamy, yogurt like. Slightly watery and slimy. Does not jiggle and stays in one form for the most part.
Silk, 5.3 oz, dairy free, gluten free, carrageenan free
Flavor: Peach & Mango
Main ingredient: soymilk
Fat: 3.5 g
Calories: 130
Protein: 6g
Price: $1.49
Taste: creamy, bold peach and mango flavorful, almost tastes like real dairy yogurt but there is a chalky soy flavor after note with each bite, which ruins it.
Texture: no mixing required, creamy same form & look as dairy yogurt. You wouldn’t know the difference based on looks between dairy yogurt and dairy free yogurt.
Daiya, 5.3 oz, Greek style, dairy free, soy free, gluten free
Flavor: Strawberry
Main ingredient: coconut cream, pea protein
Fat: 4.5 g
Calories: 150
Protein: 8g
Price: $1.99
Taste: Awful. Really quite disgusting. Not sweet. Bitter. Does not taste like Strawberry. It’s like an old flavorless protein powder mix gone bad.
Texture: Maintains a solid consistency. Looks just like dairy yogurt. Thick. Creamy.
