Differences in soymilk?

[merianne16]

I'm looking to switch my DS to regular soymilk now but I have some questions. Is there any difference between the soymilk in boxes on the shelves (unrefridgerated) and the stuff in the fridges? What is your favorite unsweetened kind of soymilk? I'm ok with vanilla flavored but not with one that has added sweeteners.

Other related questions: How do I get him to drink it out of a sippy? He does great drinking water out of his sippy and regular cups but won't drink anything else out of them. I'd like him to drink the soymilk at meals and eventually replace the formula in his morning/nap/evening bottle with it.

TIA!

[egoldber]

My younger DD (18 months) will only drink vanilla, but (fortunately) she does not have a brand preference. I just make sure its organic and fortified with calcium. We buy the WestSoy Plus 64 ounce boxes at Trader Joe for home and I use the Silk small sizes when we are out and about.

How much is he drinking though in a day? My DD only drinks about 12-16 ounces tops in a day. I'd personally be uncomfortable with more than that of soymilk in a day.

[kimberley-k]

I have found the Trader Joe's brand soy milk (in the blue box, non-refrig), to taste MUCH better than other brands.

FYI, Costco has Kirkland Organic soy milk very cheap. I don't care for the taste myself.

-Kim

[DrSally]

It's all sweetened, even the "plain". The Westsoy brand does sell an unsweetened version that I mix with sweetened to make it somewhat less sugary. I don't use TJ's b/c all their stuff is made in facilities with nuts and other allergens. If you're not doing soymilk for allergy purposes, then that should be fine. I use Kirkland's and DS doesn't seem to mind. Silk seems to be the sweetest, but Ds never got hooked on it. I used to do the Stop and Shop store brand of organic soymilk before we move. Basically, I look for organic and vitamin/calcium fortified.

ETA: there's no difference between fridgerated and nonrefriderated soymilk, just where the grocer chooses to place it and how much they charge (almost double for refridgerated sometimes). It's all shelf-stable before opened. I try to use within 5 days of opening, like all soy.

[egoldber]

I use the Kirkland Original Organic Soy (plain) for me now LOL! I went off dairy for several months when Amy was younger and now I just prefer. Plus I also discovered that I am slightly diary/lactose intolerant and not using regular milk (at least not very often) makes me feel better. Amy wouldn't touch the plain stuff though.

[merianne16]

Right now he is on Baby's Only Organic Soy Toddler formula and he drinks about 20 oz of that a day divided between 3 bottles. Should I wait longer to make the switch? If I kept the formula in the bottles and got him to drink the soymilk for meals I'd like that but like I said before he'll only do water from his sippies. Any ideas?

[merianne16]

FYI- I looked on their website and the westsoy does have a vanilla flavored soymilk that is unsweetened. However, it is not one of the enriched varieties. We get lots of sunshine (for vit d) and he eats lots of green veggies (for calcium) so do you think the enriched absolutely necessary? I'd love to stay away from the extra sugar.

[egoldber]

I do the enriched mainly for the calcium.

[brittone2]

I would definitely opt for organic/non GMO. Soy is almost always GMO if it isn't organic.

How old is DC? I use almond milk for low carbing for my pcos, and I can buy organic, unsweetened, which is a nice option. Obviously, depending on DC's age, that may not be an option.

[merianne16]

DS is 16.5 months old. I hadn't considered almond milk as an alternative. Have you given it to your little ones?

[merianne16]

DS is 16.5 months old. I hadn't considered almond milk as an alternative. Have you given it to your little ones?

[brittone2]

My DS has it in smoothies occasionally, but he's four. We delayed nuts with him until he was over 3 (DH has some food allergies), and will do the same w/ DD (16 months). I wouldn't go out of my way to introduce nuts that early, but once you decide to, almond milk may be a good option for your family. I've also read that with a good blender, it is pretty easy to make at home (and then you can be very certain of what you are getting).