Alpro Cremoso

I had one of these in my lunch on Tuesday? Remember? 

Alpro Cremoso are Alpro's "higher end" yogurts. In actuality, they cost less per pot than there regular yoghurt's. At Sainsburys at any rate. They do cost more per 100g, but it's the price per pot that counts really, isn't it?

Agree with me on that one people, please? 

They come in packs of four, individual pots, in two flavors, cherry and peach. I don't know about other places, but in Sainsbury's they are £1.80 for four, which works out at 45p per yogurt. I have seen them on offer fairly regularly though, or you there will be coupons with money off. Which makes them, for a non-dairy yogurt- actually not that bad!

These seem to have replaced Alpro's Fruity and Creamy which cost more for only two pots. The change has been greatly accepted by me. The yogurt inside does appear to be the same, however the packaging has changed. A bit confusing, but I'm sure we will manage to live with it! 

What must be the biggest plus for me, is that you don't have stand (or sit) there for ages shaking your yogurt like an idiot. I mean, I always give my Cremoso yogurts a bit of a shake just to be sure, but they don't seem to need the very vigorous shaking a normal Alpro yogurt would. With the Cremoso yogurts, if I forget to do the whole shaking shenanigan, I seem to end up with a load of unpleasant lumps that just WONT go away with stirring. With the original Alpro yogurts, this doesn't seem to be a problem. Total win. Especially if you are just moving onto dairy free yogurts, cause I mean, you don't shake 'normal' yogurts, so it can be a bit hard to remember. 

I also like that they are available in 'normal' supermarkets. It makes me feel less like a weirdo happy hippy fruit loop, and more like just a normal person. You know, one that doesn't spend all her time in health food shops. One that actually likes supermarkets. (Ask my friend. She still can't get over the fact I spent weeks in year 12 when all I wanted to do was to go to ASDA. I still haven't been.) I know that we should all be going all out for the small brands trying to change the world, but sometimes it's nice to have a little bit of convenience and consistency, you know?It's not always easy when you don't eat the same as everyone else, so a bit of non-dairy yogurt in a mainstream supermarket can be a welcome change.  

I know that it's what's inside that counts, but I also quite like the packaging. Again, mainstream. Not everyone likes to stand out, and these don't shout "weird". I like that. I don't want to be in college explaining to a load of teenagers what I have got in my lunchbox, and why it's not a Muller Corner. Word to the wise, don't ever go to high school with a Alpro Caramel Dessert. Trust me, girl speaking from experience here! Sometimes you just want to fit in- and these yogurts allow you to do that. The packaging fits in, and the stuff inside? It looks like yogurt. Yeah, I know, yogurt that looks like yogurt. It's life changing.

But on a serious note, good for those transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, or just trying to incorporate more vegan into their lives, it's just like yogurt. I mean, it's like yogurt. As in, it looks like and tastes like yogurt. And come on, a lot of free from/vegan things are just yak, or they are nice, but nothing like what you expect it to be. I mean, vegan cheese anyone? I know, you shouldn't bother with substitutes and just stick to fresh, wholesome ingredients, but um... sometimes you want a yogurt, you know? 

Or maybe you don't. I mean, for a long time yogurt was one of my favorite foods. 

But sometimes, you just want a yogurt! (Now is the time to tell me that you know what I am going on about.) 

These yogurts are thick and creamy. I mean, they're not like Greek yogurt (Hi Alpro, any plans for some dairy free Greek yogurt?), but they are thick and creamy. They are nice. For a comparison, I would say that these are a bit like your normal dairy yogurt, and the other Alpro yogurts are a bit like the low fat ones. Except they are both low in fat. That's not to say that the other Alpro yogurts aren't good (I love the big pot Strawberry and Rhubarb flavor, so does Mom- and she's a dairy kind of girl. I need to be careful to protect my yogurt from her.) But these just have that something extra.

And we like that something extra, that je ne se quoi, non? 

They come in two different varieties- cherry and peach. I would LOVE to see them expand their range. You know like a Strawberry (they don't do just strawberry across any of their range. Why?) or a banana - gotta love banana! (Or is that just me again?) Or raspberry? Toffee? Or- well just about any flavour. Maybe not mango, I don' like mango. But you know, an increased range would be nice. Maybe a Cremoso big pot? 

The flavours that they have- I like. Not quite sure which one that I like best, but I like them both. When I say like, I mean, really, really, really, really like by the way. The cherry one- tastes well, like cherry, and the peach one tastes like, well peach. I'm big on the descriptions today, I know. But that's the thing, they just taste RIGHT. And actually kind of refreshing. I'm not quite sure what it is about these yogurts, but they just taste nice. The textures nice, and as already mentioned, there are no lumps. Bits, but no lumps. 

Numbers wise, they're pretty good. Per pot, they are 12% of your sugar. Which isn't good, but as fruit yogurts go, they're not bad. Okay, they're not as low in fat as the 'low fat' dairy yogurts out there. But a) they are marketing this one as an indulgent yogurt, not a diet one, and b) they are still lower in fat than a whole lot of yogurts. And they are okay when it comes to calcium (132mg per pot). I know that they are not brilliant numbers (not that I actually gave you many numbers) but they are not bad! And when I say not bad, I actually mean pretty good all things considered. 

Lot's of people avoid soy. I know that. Too much soy is a bad thing. I know that too. But I don't believe that a little bit here and there is going to kill me. If you look at your diet and think, "my, that's a lot of soy", then lets not add any more. But if your diet isn't all that big on the whole soy deal, than personally, I don't think a bit will matter. But it's up to you. You are in charge of what you put in your mouth. Probably. And I have never seen a non dairy AND non soy yogurt, so for now, for me, these will have to do. 

Of course if you are allergic to soy, then stay clear of these by about a mile. 

In conclusion...

Reading this back, I have made these yogurts sound very mediocre. They're not. However, I am describing a yogurt. I'm not describing a black forest gateaux yogurt dessert decorated with gold leaf and served in the Ritz. I am describing a yogurt. If you are looking for vegan yogurt to put in your lunchbox, or to have in your fridge for those times when you JUST WANT YOGURT, then I recommend these. These would actually be my number one recommendation. They are great, and I wholeheartedly recommend you buy some. They are the best single pot vegan yogurts I know, but they are yogurts. 

Now I need to go and finish the Strawberry Rhubarb big pot off before Mom gets in.