How Does Your Soymilk Measure Up?
by Marcy Schveibinz and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
We were able to find more than 120 different varieties of soymilk on grocery aisles and in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. This is a 50% increase since the last time we looked, about five years ago.
In general, soymilks have more protein and often more calories than other plant milks, making them a good choice for people who have higher protein needs — pregnant and lactating women, older people, elite athletes, and others. For some children, soymilks can be an easy way to add extra calories and protein.
Many products are labeled as organic and/or contain organic or non-GMO soybeans. Almost one quarter of products are identified on the package and/or the website as being vegan. Other products appear to be vegan and don't contain any obvious animal products.
Information in the table on pages 12 - 13 was gathered from product labels, manufacturers' websites, and company spokespeople between August, 2018 and January, 2019.
To see a much more extensive chart than the one appearing in this issue, visit the link at the end of this article. Since information changes, verify information with the company if you have special concerns.
Also, please note that although the Eden Foods website does not explicitly say that products are vegan, it states, "None of our foods contain dairy derivatives, eggs, gelatin, or animal derived by-products." See: www.edenfoods.com/faqs/view.php?categories_id=1#faq6
Thanks to VRG volunteer Marcy Schveibinz who collected all the information and created the online table of soymilks.
Full Soymilk Chart Online
To see detailed information about everything from the number of calories to how much vitamin B12 is added, to which sweeteners are used in many brands of soymilks available in the U.S., go to www.vrg.org/nutshell/Guide_to_Soymilks_2019.pdf
