Learning How To Eat Again When You Have A Soy Allergy

Almost every day I receive a message from someone who has just been diagnosed with a soy allergy… or from someone whose child has just been diagnosed with a soy allergy. These messages usually have a common theme… for these people, eating almost anything has become a scary unknown… and especially so if their allergic reaction is severe. Unfortunately, because soy is in so much of our food and masquerades under so many different names, it is extremely difficult to avoid. However, it CAN be done. Here are some ideas that I hope will help.

• Bread… Unless you have access to an unusual bakery, you will not be able to find any bread that does not contain soy. The label may not list soy as an ingredient (even with the new allergen guidelines), but the bread will probably contain lecithin or various dough conditioners, and these are just other names for soy. The alternative is to make your own bread and immediately slice it and freeze it to keep it fresh. With a bread machine, making bread is almost effortless, and you will find that your homemade bread tastes better than any you could buy. You can also use the bread machine to make dough for pizza, rolls, bagels, pretzels, or any other yeast bread.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables… The assumption would be that you can’t get much more natural or soy-free than fresh fruits and vegetables. But be careful with these too, because some vegetables have been coated with a waxy coating that is almost pure soy. Often fruits such as apples are sprayed with a soy oil to make them look shiny and more appealing. Peeling the fruit or vegetable helps to remove some of the wax or oil, but it is possible that some has been absorbed into the food. Look for fruits and vegetables that have not been treated, or buy locally as much as you can… the fruits and vegetables may not look as attractive as the glossy ones in the stores, but they will be safer for you to eat.
• Prepared foods… Foods like canned soups or any of the convenience foods that just need heating or to be quickly mixed, cake mixes, boxed dinners, bottled salad dressings… the list is almost endless… will almost always contain some form of soy, but again, soy will not always be listed as an ingredient. Three ingredients to always watch out for and avoid… natural flavor, vegetable oil, and vegetable broth. Almost without exception these terms mean soy.
• Frozen vegetables… Unless you buy the kind with sauces, frozen vegetables are almost always soy-free and are an excellent food choice. Sometimes frozen vegetables are even a better choice than fresh vegetables because the vegetables are processed so quickly. Also, frozen vegetables have not been “prettied up” with oil or wax to make them look more appealing.
• Canned vegetables… These are usually soy-free as well if you purchase the type processed with only salt or no salt and no other flavorings. Personally I don’t like the taste or texture of canned vegetables, but they are a soy-free option.
• Dried beans, lentils, peas… These are a great high-protein choice UNLESS you purchase them in a bulk food store in bins. In this situation you run the risk of cross-contamination with soy-containing foods if they are stored or displayed in close proximity, or if the store uses the same bins or scoops. Even though the price is often less in these bulk purchase stores (but not always), to me any savings are not worth the risk. Also avoid the multi-bean mixes… most will contain soy in the form of natural flavoring.
• Pasta, rice, etc… You will be able to find both rice and pasta that is soy-free, but always check the labels for ingredients, especially with the pasta. Rice mixes can be a problem because of the added flavorings.
• Canned or processed meats… Almost all the prepared meats contain some form of soy. If you’re extremely lucky, you may find a luncheon-style meat, bacon, ham, or hot dogs without the “natural flavor,” “liquid smoke,” or other soy ingredients. If your allergic reaction is severe, be very careful with these products and don’t just trust the allergen labeling. Tuna fish is also a problem… even tuna packed in water will have vegetable broth or something similar as an ingredient. Avoid it. An alternative to tuna fish is canned salmon, which contains only salmon and salt.
• Fresh meat… When an animal is fed a soy-based diet, does the soy “come through” in the meat? How about eggs and soy-fed hens? I have never seen research on this subject. I have, however, had one of the worst allergic reactions of my life after eating a small amount of chicken (and nothing else) from a certain famous company. A call to this company revealed that the diet fed to these chickens was entirely soybeans. It is a given that most food animals are fed a diet high in soy… we discovered firsthand how difficult it is to find soy-free commercial animal feed when we first started feeding our pig, goat, chickens, ducks, and geese. (For the record, these animals were all pets and not for food.) Not everyone will want to do as we have done… we have almost entirely eliminated meat from our diet, and we have done this for a variety of reasons besides soy… but if you’re still having reactions and can’t trace the cause, meat from soy-fed animals could be the hidden culprit. Also, with the holidays coming up, you will want to avoid self-basting turkeys or any turkeys that have an ingredient list with “natural flavors added.”
• Oils… Olive oil is fine and is a healthy choice, as is pure canola oil, but watch out for the oil blends that are often advertised so cleverly, it is hard to find the soy they contain. Definitely avoid anything labeled vegetable oil. Also avoid solid shortening (like Crisco) and margarine… they will always contain some form of soy. Some doctors are still insisting that soy oil is safe for an allergic person to ingest because “all of the protein has been removed.” I wish I could show them all the mail I have received from people who have had a life-threatening reaction to soy oil.
• Fast food, restaurant food… Almost certain to contain soy, although some restaurants now promise a soy-free meal. Again, I think the severity of your allergic reaction will determine if you want to take the risk. I would not.
• Everything else… From chocolate, which is definitely something to avoid, to tea, which can be OK or not… assume everything has soy until you have proved that it does not. Read labels carefully and call the companies for more information if the labels aren’t complete. Start slowly and know that although it seems very discouraging right now, it IS possible to eat a varied diet and most of the foods that everyone else eats… you will just have to work harder than the rest of the world to find or make them. Most importantly, remember… over time, it does get easier.

Filed Under Soy Allergy

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