Yogurt Taste Test: Soy vs. Coconut

A review of three yogurts


Texture

• Wholesoy & Co. soy yogurt has the same consistency as a low-fat or fat-free dairy yogurt. It is semi-thick and creamy (not as thick as regular fat yogurt). 
• Trader Joe's soy yogurt has the same consistency as Wholesoy.
• So Delicious coconut yogurt is very thick, kind of custard-like, but not creamy - almost gelatinous - and left a weird film on my tongue.

Flavor

• Wholesoy & Co. flavored soy yogurts are tasty and tangy. Wholesoy & Co. unsweetened plain soy yogurt was nasty and kind of tasted like pee, I had to top it with granola and really choke it down to finish it. 
• Trader Joe's flavored soy yogurt is equally as tasty and tangy as Wholesoy but has a slight cardboard aftertaste. I have not seen a plain soy yogurt by Trader Joe's.
• So Delicious coconut yogurt has a very mild flavor, almost flavorless. It is not tangy at all, which I find strange for a yogurt.

I was really disappointed with the So Delicious coconut yogurt. It had little flavor and a gross mouthfeel. The only edge it had was its appearance, with a nice white color, while both of the soy yogurts had a greyish tint.

Verdict: My favorite of the three yogurts is Wholesoy & Co. soy yogurts (but only the flavored ones), with Trader Joe's behind by only a hair. Wholesoy & Co. goes for about $1.30 per 6-oz cup and Trader Joe's goes for about $1 per 6-oz cup so I would just go for the Trader Joe's, unless the Wholesoy were on sale for a low price. 

What is your favorite yogurt?

Vegan on a Shoestring

Croutons

Most croutons contain cheese. I was able to find vegan croutons at Whole Foods but they were double the price I used to pay for my non-vegan croutons.

The other day at BJ's I found this 2-lb mamma-jamma of Fresh Gourmet Seasoned Organic Croutons which happens to be vegan. It cost around $6, which is about the same unit price per pound as the cheap croutons I used to buy. They happen to be organic, which is a nice bonus. They also happen to be very yummy. They're seasoned well and aren't overly salty. They're large, restaurant-style croutons.

Here is my first salad with croutons, since going vegan. It had romaine ($1.50 for a HUGE head from Morgiewicz Produce at the farmer's market), yellow zucchini ($1.50/lb, also from Morgiewicz), cherry tomatoes, croutons, and my quick/easy homemade dressing (I'll do a post on it).

How do you get an extra crunch fix in your salads?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Subway Avocado

When I go to Subway I get the Veggie Delite sandwich because it is the only vegan sandwich on the menu (if you want to ask for more vegan choices, go to http://welovesubway.com). A footlong Delite usually fits the bill when I'm starving at lunch, but it does not hold me over to finish my long days. When Subway announced that they were going to offer avocado, I got really excited. A fresh, healthy fat would make the sandwich a lot heartier.

I finally got the Veggie Delite for lunch yesterday, with avocado. But it was disappointing for me. It was only a little smear of mashed avocado, which was hard to detect among all the veggies. What ruffled my feathers even more was that adding the two tablespoons worth of avocado cost me an extra $1. Nevermore! A dollar is a lot for two dabs of avocado. Since I didn't get any meat, couldn't they just add it, on the house? Get with the program, Subway. Chipotle does it!


Was it just me, or is the Subway avocado really worth all the hype?


Vegan on a Shoestring

If You Shop Online

If you shop online, please visit http://shopandsupportaspca.com/. Through that website, you can shop at hundreds of major retailers (including JC Penney, Gap, Best Buy, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, Victoria's Secret) and by shopping through that site a percentage of your purchase is donated to ASPCA.

Do you know of any other similar programs which provide donations to animal welfare organizations?

Vegan on a Shoestring