Product Review: Great Value Soy Butter

Peanut allergies are the most prevalent food allergy in the world, according to the website www.peanutallergy.com. For those afflicted with this food allergy, the kid classic, peanut butter and jelly, is off limits, along with a host of other foods.

If peanut butter is out of the question, there is an alternative. Wal Mart makes a Great Value brand soy butter spread. I discovered this spread with the rest of the peanut butters at our local Wal Mart. Since my daughter is allergic to peanuts, I decided to give this substitute spread a try.

The spread is packaged like a regular peanut butter. I read the ingredients several times, to make sure that there were no peanuts or possible cross contamination from the manufacturing equipment. The Great Value soy butter is, according to the packaging, a completely peanut free food.

Appearance
My daughter was ready to try her new "peanut butter" as soon as we got home. The look of the soy butter was very similar to regular peanut butter, only slightly lighter in color than most peanut butters. The texture appeared exactly the same as a creamy peanut butter.

How It Spread
I stuck the knife in the soy butter and found that it is not as creamy as it first appeared. Although the texture looks similar, it is actually slightly drier than regular peanut butter, with a slightly denser texture.

How It Tasted
I sniffed the soy butter, and found that it did not smell like peanuts at all. I tasted the soy butter straight from the jar. To my peanut butter preferring taste buds, the soy butter tasted like burnt toasted soy nuts. There was a slightly bitter aftertaste to the soy spread as well.

I made my daughter a soy butter and jelly sandwich. Since she has never had peanut butter, I was hopeful that the taste would be acceptable for her. Unfortunately, my daughter was not impressed by the taste of the soy butter. Even with a sweet strawberry jelly to help mask the bitterness, she found the spread too dry and bitter to be enjoyable.

Because soy is a great low fat protein and a great addition to any diet, I will continue to try new ways to help my daughter enjoy the soy butter.

Overall Impression
For those individuals who have eaten and like peanut butter, the Great Value soy butter spread will not be a suitable substitute. The look of the product may fool you, but the taste will not. If, however, the spread is for someone who has never tasted peanut butter, it may be a passable peanut free version for your next PB and J.