Okay, now on to the Silk Cashew Milk review.....
I was sent a kit by BzzAgent (which I've mentioned before). It was a coupon for a free half gallon of Silk Cashew Milk for me to try (in exchange for feedback and my reporting any conversations about it I have). There were also a few recipes, which I've yet to try. And a couple coupons to give to friends/family (one of which has already been shared).
I usually buy the plain Silk Light Almond Milk. Though I keep powdered skim milk on hand for use in recipes when needed. I still had a bit of the Light Almond Milk left in the fridge. So, I wrote down all the nutritional information from both packages to compare to instant powdered milk. Here is the breakdown (anything that was not mentioned on the package has a dash):
Nutrient Silk Light Almond Silk Cashew Skim
Calories 40 60 80
Fat 2g 2.5g 0g (all had no saturated or trans fats)
Sodium 160mg 170mg 125mg
Potassium 25mg 30mg 390mg
Carbs 5g 9g 12g
Protein <1g <1g 8g
Vit A 10% 10% 10%
Vit C 0% 0% 2%
Vit D 25% 25% 25%
Vit E 50% 50% -
Riboflavin 30% 30% -
Vit B12 50% 50% -
Calcium 45% 45% 30%
Iron 2% 2% 0%
Magnesium 4% 4% -
Zinc 8% 10% -
As you can see, the two non-dairy milks are pretty comparable. Both are lower in calories and fat than skim and have more vitamins and minerals. But dairy milk is higher in potassium (surprisingly) and protein, while being lower in sodium.
Now, on to my thoughts: I was surprised at how similar the Cashew Milk tasted to the Light Almond Milk. Those are my two favourite nuts, each with a distinctive flavour. So I expected the milks to taste like the nuts they were made from. The Cashew Milk has a bit richer taste. And it's a lot thicker in texture. So, if you prefer whole dairy milk, you'd probably like the Cashew Milk better. While if you prefer skim dairy milk, the Light Almond would be a better choice.
How have I used the Cashew Milk? Well...I had a glass of it with a very spicy meal. Just like with dairy milk, it helped temper the heat (which is something that Almond Milk doesn't work as well at). I also have used it over a couple of different cereals (shredded wheat and the new Weight Watchers Whole Grain Honey Nut Toasted Oats). It added a deliciously creamy mouth feel and didn't overpower the taste of the cereal at all. In fact, it added only a slight nuttiness that was very pleasant. I've also added small amounts of the Cashew Milk to recipes in place of dairy milk. In each case, there was no significant difference in taste between it and the same recipe made with dairy milk.
To sum up: If you're lactose-intolerant, Vegan, or just looking for an alternative to dairy whole milk, I recommend the Silk Cashew milk. As for me, I'll probably keep the cashew on hand for certain recipes and use over cereal, but the light almond for drinking and other recipes.