10/17/06 | Yoplait Whips
[ Currently Eating: Stax of Pringles ]
There’s probably nothing that will bias me more toward giving a food item a favorable review than it being free. When the jig is up, and you’re found out to be pandering something unworthy of a good Cheap Eats score, you can always fall back on it being free…
Like these Yoplait Whips (sorry in advance, Charlie). I got coupons for 3 of these free yogurt novelties awhile back. It actually took quite awhile to get a hold of them because they happened to be out for weeks at both of the grocery stores near me. And when I did pick them up, the crusty checkout lady gave me the evil eye and said “Did you print this off the internet?”
I had to explain to her that I review food. That seemed to placate her, though she did go to her supervisor to okay them. She also seemed in a hurry to get rid of me. Man, food reviewers get no respect. Or maybe I didn’t use deodorant that day.
I ended up getting the tower of three yogurt whips above: Dulce de Leche, Key Lime Pie and Strawberry Mist. They call this whipped yogurt “lowfat yogurt mousse”. I’m not so familiar with mousse, except the kind we used in the 80s in hair. I was sort of expecting maybe something along the lines of Cool Whip. I really don’t know.
(If I was writing for The Impulsive Buy, it would be at this point I would make some nice tie-in about chains and whips to jazz up the review.)
Here is the thing with the Yoplait Whips. Since the flavors and content of the yogurt exist in “normal” unwhipped versions as well, and they’re the same price, the only thing new to talk about here is the texture. And in my opinion, that texture was simply AWFUL.
I tried the Dulce De Leche Yoplait Whips first. I’m not going to get into what this looks like here, but do you know that Radiohead song “Fake Plastic Trees”? Now, replace “trees” with something less tree-like and more dog poo-like.
In their defense, as with all of these single serving yogurt cups, you’re not meant to dump the contents out into a clear custard dish like I did. But yeah, that consistency is like inconsistent curdled milk. The mouthfeel is sort of like someone mixed up cool whip with yogurt… in their mouth and spit it back into the cup.
I actually rather dig the normal Dulce De Leche flavored Yoplait. It has a nice caramel-ish flavor that’s a bit tangy and is rich enough without being overpowering.
At this point, I started to realize what they’re going for when they call it “mousse”. It’s very much like contents of a jello mold mousse. It is extra airy, fluffy and light, which means you can eat this rather quickly. But I really like the substance that you get behind normal yogurt better.
I went with the Key Lime Pie Yoplait Whips next. It had a nice lime flavor and since yogurt is already sour to start with it was a good match. Once again, a bit mushy and bubbly tasting… I suspect this might be popular with the kids. It sure seemed like a novelty item more than anything.
You know what, it wasn’t horrible but I just see no reason to get the Whips when you can get normal Yoplait at the same price (and as I saw at the market, more readily than the Whips version). You may have noted that there was another flavor not pictured here, Strawberry Mist. I’m actually eating that now as we type. I didn’t feel it was worth it to take another picture. There’s nothing to write about really. It’s that texture that sinks this yogurt variety in my opinion. The yogurt and flavoring itself is pretty decent. But the “fluffy cloud in your mouth” novelty just doesn’t cut it for me.
Price: Free ($.79 - $.99 normally)
Found At: Ralph’s
Cheap Eats Score: 3/10 (Just get the normal Yoplait)
October 19th, 2006 at 8:57 am
I tried them too, and share the same opinion. The texture is completely AWFUL. I know they had to do market testing of this stuff (before we moved, I got called regularly by two compaies for things like that), and I can’t imagine how it passed.
I bought them for my kids, whose favorite flavor is the regular Key Lime, and they wouldn’t eat them either. I ended up throwing them out.
October 19th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
i actually really liked the texture, they were really nice and not too tangy. the dulce de leche was a great flavor(although they need to lighten the food coloring). The issue I have with it being cheap eats is that its half air! Regular yogurt is much more dense(more for the money).
October 24th, 2006 at 6:36 am
I’ve tried them before, but the texture of it really drives me mad. It’s slightly rubbery and tastes greasy. A similar, but much better product is the “Danone Mousse”. The texture of the Danone Mousse is more dense and more akin to the elusive Cool Whip. (Although it’s not cheap at all!)
Good luck with more reviews!
October 26th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
I love the texture! I usually find normal yogurt too dense in the morning–I can’t seem to stomach breakfast–so these Whips are the only thing I’m willing to gulp down. I love the airiness. It makes me think of an Aero candy bar, with all of the little holes.
I just wish there was more Whips than what’s in the little tub. My roommate, suitemate, and I all fight over who gets what in our shared stock of Whips. It would be nice to have more for the money. We’re all poor college students, after all.
(For the record, the lime is my favorite flavor. Well, that and chocolate-raspberry. Mmm.)
October 28th, 2006 at 9:36 am
peggasus - i do like the key lime flavor for the normal yogurt too!
wuntrikpony - Oh yeah, I did think that from the fact it’s mostly air it should be cheaper. Of course, by that logic, cotton candy should be free…
angi - I’ll have to take a look at the Dannon variety.
EB - kind of cool to find contrasting opinions for the yogurt. RE: poor college students - start a college food blog; there are marketing companies who might send free food or coupons…
October 29th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
ahhh, i have to agree with a few of the ppl here…i love the whips! even more than the regular stuff…heheh.
November 6th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
I love the whips!! I can’t stand the texture of regular yogurt, and always end up mixing crumbled graham crackers into the smooth flavors. Okay, I did that for the whips too–but still loved them!
However, I agree that they are kind of a rip off since they’re mostly air, but I think I only paid 80cents each for them, so that’s not so bad.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:50 pm
It’s amazing to me how everyone’s taste buds differ. I absolutely love, love, love the whips!! In fact I would choose them more often but they are more points on Weight Watchers.
December 3rd, 2006 at 3:51 pm
Absolutely love, love, love the Yoplait Whips and especially
Dulce de Leche. The texture is great! The drawback is my
spoon gets to the bottom of the 4 oz. container too quickly.
Know from having 9 children and many grandchildren that
we all seem to experiece taste and texture differently. Some
enjoy caramels, marshmallows, pasta, etc. and some have
great distain. I would imagine someone who reviews food
would have to put the variance-in-people into the equation
in order to end with the correct response.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:33 am
I have been mixing up sugar free instsnt chocolate pudding mix with plain yogurt for a long time now (substitute the yogurt for the milk called for and just mix and refrigerate til thick)..kids seem to like it too
February 6th, 2007 at 7:46 am
I love whips. Better than regular yogurt, in my opinion.
April 17th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Well, I think whipped yogurt is a rip-off because it’s regular yogurt+air. If you stir the whipped yogurt for awhile, you’ll realize that the quantity of yogurt you paid for is only a fraction of regular yogurt that you buy.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
True it isn’t very much for the money. I ‘ll stick to regular yogurt unless I crave a carmel or chocolatey treat. The cafe latte isn’t bad either. Good substitute for ice cream although sometimes…
June 21st, 2007 at 10:00 am
I LOVE Yoplait whips and find the texture to be quite satisfying. I like regular yogurt, but would choose the whips any day!
June 30th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
You should try these frozen! Wonderful!
July 10th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
I’m in my sixtys, and I just love those whips. I wish there were more to them, like a bigger container to make up for the air. I’m on a fixed income, but I buy them when I can. They are the absolute best yogurt out there today. I love the fruity ones.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I personally don’t really like yogurt but love the whips. As for the review…I think it’s funny that most of the people that left comments love them! But yeah, at walmart they’re 50 cents a piece.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I have always hated yogurt, I have a problem with the consistency and texture of foods like yogurt, pudding, jello, etc. But I know yogurt is healthy and good for my stomach, so I figured I’d go for the whips since I can handle mousse….and it’s amazing! I just had the strawberry…and I love it! I think this is a successful alternative to regular yogurt.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I love the key lime pie whips! Delicious…quick on the go….and only 50 cents each at Walmart.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I too LOVE the whips!! I’m a fan of chocolate mousse so when I saw a yogurt (which is healthy) with a chocolate mousse name, I decided to try it out. WOW I thought it was great. I actually like the light and airy texture.
I do enjoy regular yogurt, and their new light non fat flavors like boston cream pie, strawberry chocolate, apple turnover, and key lime pie are really good too. BUT the whips are really nice as a treat and the chocolate helps me with my chocolate cravings. I feel much better eating 4oz of this than I would eating a chocolate bar. I think the whips are fantastic!