Heart of Cooking

Soy-free and Dairy-free Cheese

Soy is one of the top eight most common food allergens.  Yet, soy products can be found in many foods in restaurants, fast food, manufactured breads, cereals, mayonnaise, salad dressings, in non-dairy milk products and many other foods.

Soy can be hiding in your food under any of the following ingredients:

emusifiers*
soy flour
soy oil
soy sauce
tamari
Bragg’s liquid amino acids
tempeh
vegetable gum*
lecithin*
soy lecithin
soy protein
soy sprouts
tofu
vegetable oil*
vegetable shortening*
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
miso
soy albumin
soy milk
soy protein isolate
soy-based infant formulas
unspecified sprouts*
vegetable paste*
vegetable starch*
hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)*
shoyu
soy beans
soy nuts
edamame
soya
stabilizers*
vegetable broth*
vegetable protein*
hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)*
*  These items may or may not contain soy; the source if seldom listed on a food label.
Source:  Vickerstackk-Joneha, J. Managing Food Allergy and Intolerance:  A Practical Guide.  1995

So if you have soy allergies or a soy intolerance, it is imperative that you read labels on foods carefully and ask specifically about the food you are ordering in a restaurant if you’re eating out. For many people, creating all or most of your food at home is the best way to ensure you are avoiding all soy products.

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Most of what I have come to believe about diet is based on my own experience of different foods as well as scientific research.  I have tried many different kinds of diets and have experienced varied results with each.  With some diets, my digestive problems worsened while I gained extra weight.  With others, I felt more energized, my digestive system seemed to work more optimally and I lost weight.

I am a firm believer that each person’s body is different and that each person has to find for themselves what kind of diet works for them.  It is through paying attention to our bodies signals and reactions that we come to know what kind of diet most suits us.

However, one food that I have come to believe is not beneficial for most people is nonfermented soy. This may be off the beaten path of what we are used to seeing in health food stores:  soy cheese and milk, tofu, soy sauce, soy protein powder, baby formula and even soy cream cheese are all products we are familiar with.  (The use of fermented soy products such as miso, natto, and tempeh can be beneficial and healthy.)

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