I haven’t given much thought to product reviews on The Savvy Soybean- I quite enjoy supporting mom n’ pop shops and getting the word out there about their homemade foods and much deserved success - but it recently dawned on me that the big, wealthy food companies had to start from somewhere, too. Perhaps it was in a small cottage in Southampton, home to the original Tate’s Bake Shop. Or maybe it was a professor of Asian philosophy who had big dreams and a passion for soybeans. It sounds strange, but that’s exactly how Ted Nordquist, founder of WholeSoy & Co., began his environmentally conscious, organic soy yogurt enterprise. WholeSoy & Co.'s fascinating history can be found here on their site. A moral company, steadfast to its core beliefs… now that’s a “man” whose product is worth blogging about... 

But enough about that and on to the ice cream. Little known fact: I hate soy ice cream. It repulses me. During my stint as a vegan, I feigned excitement over “Peanutbutter Chocolate Zig-Zag” and “Cookies & Cream Avalanche,” but it all had the same bizarre aftertaste. After a great deal of searching, I came across coconut milk ice cream - a delicious alternative to that soy stuff I so despised. The only thing was, everything tasted like coconut. Though I liked the original flavor - heck, I was obsessed with it - the whole coconut thing got a little weird with their other flavor combinations. 

As for dairy ice cream, I generally try to avoid it. It’s a rare treat for me, as I’m well aware of dairy’s adverse effects on the body. Not to mention, a pint of dairy ice cream sitting in the freezer is guaranteed to be polished off by yours truly within the week.

So here I was, ice cream-less and hungry, scouring the aisles of Westerly Natural Market for something sweet to eat. As I hit the frozen dessert aisle, I moved past the sorbets and rice-based treats. I sighed when I scanned the soy ice creams- same old, same old. But wait. Can it be? Frozen soy yogurt ice cream? I like yogurt. I like ice cream. I like that it’s organic and still cheaper than a Ben & Jerry’s pint. And I certainly like the sound of Hazelnut Chocolate. Maybe, just this once, I’ll give soy ice cream another chance.  

Best decision ever. WholeSoy & Co. Chocolate Hazelnut Frozen Soy Yogurt is the single best dairy-free ice cream I’ve ever tasted. Seriously. It’s rich with nutty flavor with only a hint of chocolate, but super satisfying and creamy. And here’s the best part: no weird aftertaste whatsoever. It actually tastes like dairy ice cream. And with 3g fat per serving (Ben & Jerry’s has about 25g), it’s way more figure friendly and gives you the benefits of soy protein. And, ladies, all those good-for-you live active cultures are in there, too. So rejoice, ice-cream lovers. There’s finally a scrumptious dairy-free alternative waiting in your freezer aisle. As for me? I’m turning over a new leaf as a soy fro-yo fanatic.