What Food Items May Contain Soy?

Soy is found in many common foods including meat and vegetarian products and, unfortunately, baby foods.  According to the United Soybean Board, soybean oil accounts for 79% of the edible fats used annually in the United States.  It is found in many margarines, spreads, sauces, and dressings.

Keep in mind soy also hides in many unsuspected items in your refrigerator and in your pantry such as ice cream, yogurt, pasta, and cereal.  Common baking items that contain soy include flour.  Why would flour have soy in it?  The food industry puts soy in fortified flour so the label can boast more protein.  Chocolate is often a place where you will find soy lecithin or if it’s a liquid chocolate it may have soybean oil.  Frostings often have soybean oil in them to make them more creamy and moist.  Even sprinkles often have soy lecithin to keep them from sticking together and soybean oil to keep them moist.

It is important to read labels to determine what food items contain soy.  This is a list of possible foods that often contain soy to be aware of:

• Baby formula and food
• Bacon
• Bagels
• Bread
• Burgers
• Cereal
• Cheese
• Chocolates
• Condiments
• Dressings
• Frozen foods
• Imitation foods
• Margarines/spreads
• Marinades
• Milk
• Nuts and nut butter
• Non-dairy desserts
• Pasta
• Protein bars
• Protein powder
• Sauces
• Sausage
• Seasonings
• Snack foods
• Soy sauce
• Tofu
• Turkey
• Vegetable oil
• Vegetable protein
• Waffles
• Whipped toppings
• Yogurt

You can also learn more if you join Dr. Brownstein and I on June 16th for a lecture about the deceptions of soy in Novi MI - sign up today! 

This post excerpted with permission from www.thesoydeception.com

10 Tips to Avoiding Soy

Soy is hidden in numerous items.  Soybean oil and soy flour are in many baked goods, sauces, dressings, and many common packaged foods.  Beware of soy in common food items like canned tuna and soups, chocolate, frozen dinners, pizza, bread, muffins, and cake mixes.  The best way to avoid soy is to prepare food items at home.  Use these tips and recipes to guide you.  Experimentation will be the key to finding what works best for you and your family. 

10 Tips To Avoiding Soy:

• Use real fats like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil.  Avoid processed vegetable oils, butter substitutes, shortening, and spreads which often contain soybean oil.
• Make homemade salad dressings and avoid store-bought dressings which often have soybean oil as the main ingredient.
• Prepare fresh foods at home and avoid canned goods, frozen meals, and vegetables which often contain soybean oil or soy flour.
• Use coconut milk or homemade almond milk and avoid soy milk for drinking or cooking.
• Avoid protein bars or shakes that contain soy protein isolate.
• Be wary of breads, muffins, and baked goods that often have soy flour and also soybean oil (usually hydrogenated) in them.
• Look out for those hidden names that could be soy such as “textured vegetable protein” (TVP®), “textured plant protein”, “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” (HVP), “vegetable oil”, “MSG” (monosodium glutamate), “lecithin”, “vegetable broth”, “bouillon”, and “natural flavorings.”
• Read labels every time you make a purchase, especially if you have soy allergies. Manufacturers often change their ingredients and their labels.  One day an item may not have soy and the next day it might!
• Check your vitamins, supplements, over-the-counter-drugs, prescriptions, and beauty products all of which may contain soy in some form.
• Cook and prepare your meals at home with fresh, whole foods to avoid soy that is hidden in over 60% of the items in grocery stores.

You can also learn more if you join Dr. Brownstein and I on June 16th for a lecture about the deceptions of soy in Novi MI - sign up today!

This post excerpted with permission from www.thesoydeception.com