What is the Creamy Chocolate Silk Ultra Protein Drink?
It’s Silk’s attempt to get into the lucrative protein drink industry. Along with this one, there are also two other flavors — unsweet and original.
While it’s a “soy protein beverage,” it pretty much looks and pours like soy milk. How much protein does it have, you ask? Twenty grams per one-cup serving. That’s 40% of your daily recommended intake and slightly more than double the amount in regular Silk Chocolate Soymilk. Plus, Ultra has half the sugar of chocolate milk, 35% of your daily recommended calcium, and 130% of your daily vitamin B12.
How is it?
It’s chocolatey and chalky. It’s chalkolatey.
Although I’ll admit, it’s not the chalkiest chocolate plant-based milk I’ve had. That sad, sad honor goes to the Suja Chocolate Organic Plant Protein Milk I tried a few years ago. It was so chalky that I can still remember how much so it was all these years later. It’s like a bad food memory that’s tattooed on my brain, like that time I drank bacon-flavored soda or learned I have a shellfish allergy.
However, to make Silk Ultra’s texture significantly less noticeable to not noticeable at all, might I recommend adding it to cereal or iced coffee. For some strange reason, it fades when used in those ways. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s soy magic.
When it comes to chocolatiness, and this could be my imagination, it seems to be slightly more so than regular Chocolate Silk Soy Milk. But overall, the Ultra version pretty much tastes like the original one, except, you know, chalkier.
Anything else you need to know?
I’ve read that regular chocolate milk is an excellent post-workout drink because it has the right balance of protein and carbohydrates. And I’ve learned through personal experience that regular chocolate milk is an awful pre-workout drink. Oh, also egg nog.
The midnight black carton looks cool.
Conclusion:
Because it tastes like regular Silk Chocolate soy milk, I’ve been enjoying Creamy Chocolate Silk Ultra. Also, I love the efficiency of getting 40% of my protein in just a cup of it. Its chalkiness isn’t a complete deal-breaker for me. Then again, isn’t that quirk par for the course when it comes to protein drinks. It would probably be a huge endeavor to make them not so chalky.
Purchased
Price: $4.29
Size: 59 fl oz
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 190 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 3 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of total sugars (includes 10 grams of added sugars), and 20 grams of protein.
Whether folks are completely ditching their omnivorous ways or just incorporating more dairy-free alternatives into their diet, plant-based milk sales have been skyrocketing. Research from Comax Flavors reveals that 36 percent of surveyed shoppers choose plant-based milk, citing nutritional benefits as the main motive.
But with so many new hybrid dairy-free milks taking over supermarket shelves, such as So Delicious' Almondmilk With Cashew and Trader Joe's multi-nut blend, we couldn't help but wonder whether these new mixed nut milks are better than almond milk or even the traditional dairy milk. To help settle the debate, we consulted Dr. Darria Long Gillespie, MD, instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com, author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table, and spokesperson for Almond Breeze.
What's the difference between a multi-nut milk and a single-nut milk?
"Not all nut milks, whether single or multi-types are the same," Taub-Dix tells us. "Almond Breeze's Almond Coconut blend provides a similar nutrient-rich profile as their almond milk along with a distinctive coconut flavor. They do provide multi-nut milks that are enriched."
Gillespie adds that the main difference between a single nut and mixed nut milk is taste. Many mixed nut beverages have a nuttier and creamier flavor profile when compared to other plant-based picks.
Are mixed nut milks worth purchasing?
"If you're someone who finds that you have difficulty digesting dairy, or want to try going dairy-free for health, then nut-based milks are a great alternative," Gillespie tells us. "Just opt for versions that are unsweetened, so you're not getting an extra helping of sweetener or sugar along with it." Whether you decide to go with regular almond milk or put a mixed nut milk to the test, make sure you're choosing cartons that are enriched with nutrients found in dairy milk (such as calcium and vitamin D) for a balanced beverage.
Below, you'll find three mixed nut milks worth buying.
per cup: 130 calories, 8 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 220 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 10 g protein; 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 8% DV iron
This mixed nut milk combines almonds and cashews, but also gets some fat from high oleic sunflower oil. This nut milk is most similar to dairy milk in its nutritional profile, but gets its hefty protein content from pea protein rather than dairy-based casein and whey.
per cup: 25 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein; 10% DV vitamin A; 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 50% DV vitamin E, 4% DV iron
In addition to its stellar vitamin profile, including skin-healing vitamin E and bone-protecting vitamin D, this plant-based milk also boasts trace amounts of phosphorous, magnesium, copper, and manganese.
per cup: 45 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 160 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 3 g sugar), <1 g protein; 10% DV vitamin A, 45% DV calcium, 25% DV vitamin D, 20% DV vitamin E, 2% DV iron
While this pick doesn't contain any fiber or protein, it boasts 45 percent of your daily recommended amount of bone-building calcium as well as heart-healthy omega-3 fats from cold-pressed flax oil.
April Benshosan
April is a born-and-raised Brooklynite who has a passion for all things health, wellness, and tastebud-related. Read more about April