Silk Original Soy Milk: Nutrition & Labelgrade B (77/100)
B 77 / 100 — Very low saturated fat and very low sodium.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Silk Original Soy Milk delivers 8 g of protein for 110 calories per 1 cup (240 mL) (per the Silk label). That one number is the whole story of soy milk: the soybean is a complete protein, so soy is the only mainstream plant milk that actually matches dairy at 8 g a cup — and it does it for fewer calories. Almond milk gives you about 1 g, oat about 3 g; they’re refreshing, but as protein they barely register. The Labelgrade is B (77 / 100): near-zero saturated fat (0.5 g), very low sodium (90 mg), generous fortified calcium, and a protein load that genuinely counts. The one drag is 4 g of added cane sugar — the “Original” carton is lightly sweetened, which is the only thing standing between it and a higher grade.
Why the B
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 55 / 100 | 3.3 g per 100 mL. The score is diluted by water weight — milk is mostly water — not by a weak protein. In plant-milk terms this is the top of the category: 8 g a cup ties dairy and multiplies what almond or oat deliver |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | The vitamin/mineral fortification blend trips the phosphate-additive flag. Strip that and what’s left is short: soybeans, water, a little cane sugar, sea salt, one stabilizer. Clean for a shelf-stable carton |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 99 / 100 | 0.5 g per cup. Soybean fat is mostly unsaturated, so swapping soy for whole dairy milk trades 5 g of saturated fat for essentially none |
| Sodium load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 90 mg per cup — low, and lower than the ~120 mg in most dairy milk |
| Sugar load | B+ | 84 / 100 | 5 g total, 4 g of it added cane sugar to sweeten the “Original” line. The lone reason this isn’t an A; Silk’s Unsweetened version drops added sugar to 0 g |
| Fiber | F | 36 / 100 | 2 g per cup. Filtering the soybeans for the liquid leaves most of the fiber behind in the discarded pulp — structural for any milk, plant or dairy |
The grade tells the truth in both directions. The C- on density and the F on fiber are artifacts of what a milk physically is — a watered, filtered liquid — not knocks against the soy. The one finding that actually reflects a product choice is the sugar: Silk added 4 g of cane sugar to make “Original” taste rounder, and that single decision is what pins the page at a B instead of a B+.
The soy exception
Walk the plant-milk shelf and almost every carton is a near-zero-protein product: almond, oat, rice, coconut, and cashew milks all land in the 0-3 g range because their base — a nut, a grain, a drupe — is mostly fat, starch, or water once you strain it. Soy is the outlier, and it’s not close. A soybean is roughly 36% protein by dry weight and delivers all nine essential amino acids, so even after it’s blended and filtered into a drinkable milk, a cup still carries 8 g. That’s why “is this a real protein source?” has exactly one yes on the plant aisle, and it’s this carton (and its unsweetened sibling). When a recipe or a coffee habit has you pouring milk by the cup, soy is the only swap that keeps your daily protein intact.
What the fortification is doing
Soy milk is not a calcium food on its own — soybeans hold very little — so the 450 mg per cup is engineered in, via the tricalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate in the “2% or less” blend. That’s a feature worth understanding rather than a knock: it puts a cup of Silk above dairy milk’s ~300 mg of calcium, and Silk pairs it with vitamin D2 (which you need to actually absorb the calcium) and B12 (the one nutrient a fully plant-based eater most reliably runs short on). For someone off dairy, that trio — protein, fortified calcium, B12 — is most of why a glass of soy milk pulls real nutritional weight instead of just standing in for the color and pour of milk.
”Original” vs the rest of the line
The carton on this page is Original — Silk’s lightly sweetened default, with 4 g of added cane sugar doing the work. If that sugar is the only thing you’d change, it’s already solved within the same brand: Silk Unsweetened Soymilk keeps the protein (about 7 g), the fortification, and the near-zero saturated fat while dropping added sugar to 0 g — a strictly cleaner label at a few fewer calories. The trade is taste: Unsweetened reads beanier and flatter, where Original’s touch of sugar smooths it toward the dairy flavor most people expect. Choose Original if you drink it straight or in cereal and want it palatable; choose Unsweetened if you’re counting added sugar or cooking with it, where the sweetness would only get in the way.
Ingredients
Soymilk (filtered water, soybeans), cane sugar, and a “2% or less” tail of a vitamin/mineral fortification blend (tricalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate for the 450 mg of calcium; vitamins A, D2, B2, and B12), sea salt, sodium ascorbate (vitamin C, added to protect freshness), natural flavor, and gellan gum — a single fermentation-derived stabilizer that keeps the soy solids from settling out. Two real foods up front, a fortification package in the middle, and one texture additive at the end. (Verbatim statement below.)
Soymilk (Filtered Water, Soybeans), Cane Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin [B2], Vitamin B12), Sea Salt, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C to Protect Freshness), Natural Flavor, Gellan Gum.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 cup (240 mL)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 cup (240 mL)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 110 |
| Protein | 8g |
| Total Fat | 4.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 8g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g |
| Total Sugars | 5g |
| Added Sugars | 4g |
| Sodium | 90mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 450mg |
| Iron | 1mg |
| Potassium | 370mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Silk Original Soy Milk · UPC 00025293600393. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Silk Original Soy Milk?
8 g per 1 cup (240 mL), per the Silk label — about 3.3 g per 100 mL. That ties an 8 g cup of dairy milk and triples or more what other plant milks deliver: oat lands around 3 g, almond around 1 g. Soy is the only mainstream plant milk you can treat as a real protein source, because the soybean is a complete protein and the others (almond, oat, rice) are mostly water and starch.
Why does Silk Original Soy Milk score only C- on protein density if it has the most protein of any plant milk?
Density is measured per 100 mL, and milk is mostly water — so 8 g per cup works out to 3.3 g per 100 mL, which looks middling against solid foods. The C- reflects the dilution, not the protein source. In the only comparison that matters for a beverage — other milks — soy is the leader and matches dairy. Per calorie, it's the most protein-efficient milk on the shelf.
How much added sugar is in Silk Original Soy Milk?
4 g of added cane sugar per cup — 8% of the FDA Daily Value (50 g). Total sugars are 5 g; the soybeans contribute roughly 1 g of their own, and the other 4 g is added to lightly sweeten the 'Original' carton. This is the single line keeping it out of A territory. Silk Unsweetened Soymilk carries the same 7-8 g of protein with 0 g added sugar.
How much calcium is in Silk Original Soy Milk?
About 450 mg per cup — roughly 35% of the Daily Value, and more than the ~300 mg in a cup of dairy milk. Soybeans hold little natural calcium, so this comes from the added tricalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate in the fortification blend. The same blend adds vitamin D2, which your body needs to absorb the calcium, plus B12 — a nutrient that's otherwise hard to get on a fully plant-based diet.
Is Silk Original Soy Milk a good dairy substitute for protein?
It's the only plant milk that genuinely is. Per cup it matches dairy on protein (8 g) and beats it on calcium (~450 mg vs ~300 mg), saturated fat (0.5 g vs 5 g in whole milk), and cholesterol (0 vs ~35 mg). Swap a cup of soy for a cup of whole milk and you lose almost nothing on protein or bone minerals. Try the same swap with almond milk and you drop from 8 g of protein to 1 g.
Does Silk Original Soy Milk count as a 'good source of protein'?
Yes — 8 g per cup is 16% of the FDA 50 g Daily Value, clearing the 10% bar for a 'good source of protein' claim. Two cups would hit the 20% 'high in protein' threshold. No other unflavored plant milk gets close to that.
What is the gellan gum in Silk Original Soy Milk?
A plant-derived stabilizer (it's produced by fermentation) used in tiny amounts to keep the soy solids suspended so the milk doesn't separate into a watery layer with sediment at the bottom. It's the only texture additive in the list — there are no gums-plus-oils-plus-emulsifiers stacked up the way some barista-style plant milks do it.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-31. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates. The USDA FDC source ID for this product is 2756953; because that entry carried corrupt values for this UPC, the figures here are taken directly from the Silk label.