Guide to Soy Milks
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
An upcoming issue of Vegetarian Journal will include an article about plant milk. We’d like to give you a sneak peak at what we found about soy milks. To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, go to http://www.vrg.org/member/
We were able to find more than 80 different varieties of soymilk on grocery aisles and in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. In general, soymilks have more protein, and often more calories than other plant milks, making them a good choice for people who have higher protein needs – pregnant and lactating women, older people, elite athletes, and others. For some children, soymilks can be a very easy way to get in some extra calories and protein.
Many products are labeled as organic and/or contain organic soybeans. Silk makes both organic and non-organic soymilks. 8th Continent products do not appear to be organic.
To see detailed information about everything from the number of calories to how much vitamin B12 is added, to which sweeteners are used in
soymilks from Earth Balance, Eden Foods, 8th Continent, Pacific, Silk, Soy Dream, Trader Joe’s, Westsoy, Whole Foods, and Zensoy, take a look at http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/soymilk_table.pdf.
Thanks to VRG interns Candice Kalinski and Gabrielle Rapsis for helping to collect product information.
right,Soya-bean milk nutrition is rich, and easy to digest absorb. Soya-bean milk is control high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, iron deficiency anemia, asthma disease of ideal food, contains vitamin B1, B2 and nicotinic acid. In addition, the soybean milk also contains minerals such as iron, calcium
My recommendation as a 17-year vegan, certified wellness coach, and founder of http://www.sexyfitvegan.com is that soy should be eaten in moderation and always organic. Since there are countless other milk alternatives like those made from rice, oats, almonds, coconuts, hemp, etc. (my latest favorite is Flax Milk +Protein), I like to “save” my soy intake for foods less easily replaced. Soy products like tofu and tempeh are great meat alternatives, complete in protein, and can be prepared in so many different ways. For more information please connect with me on the Sexy Fit Vegan Forum! http://www.sexyfitvegan.com/forums Thanks!
I’d be curious about what the article says about making your own soymilk using a soymilk maker. There are some pros and cons. It can be much cheaper, is less processed, comes out warm, doesn’t have added sugar but it also lacks supplements such as B12 and D. I’m sure the VRG nutritionists could add more info about these aspects.