Avoid

Tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts (look for these in energy bars and trail mix), soy flour, miso and lecithin. Soy products are often used in vegetarian prepared foods such as veggie burgers. Be sure to read all labels.

Substitutes

If unable to tolerate soy and dairy products, goat’s milk, zucchini milk and nut milks are possible substitutions. Note: Generally, nut milks are not fortified with calcium.
Protein requirements can be obtained through meat and animal products and/or through mixing legumes (kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, lentils and peas) with grains and nuts. Vegetarian reference books such as Laurel’s Kitchen and the Moosewood Cookbooks provide protein-rich recipe options with and without the use of soy. In addition, most allergy-free cookbooks include vegetarian main-dish options combining legumes with grains and nuts.

General Protein requirements* (Freedom from Allergy Cookbook by R.Greenberg and A.Nori):

Adults and adolescents: 45-55 grams of protein per day
Pregnant or breast-feeding: increase protein intake by 20 grams per day
Babies 0-6 months: approximately 13 grams of protein per day.
Infants: generally require 15-20 grams per day
Children up to 10 years: require up to 30 grams per day
*these are general guidelines and will vary with factors such as age, gender, size and exercise level

Protein Content of Foods in Grams (Freedom from Allergy Cookbook by Ronald Greenberg and A.Nori)

Legumes (1 cup cooked): Peas-21, Kidney beans-16, Black beans-12
Nuts and Seeds (1 oz): Peanuts-8, Pumpkin seeds-8, Sunflower seeds-7, Almonds-5, Cashews-5, Filberts-3
Vegetables (1 cup cooked): Green peas-10, Brussel sprouts-7, Broccoli-6, Potato-4, Cauliflower-3
Seafood (100g or 3 1/2 oz): Canned tuna-24, Halibut-21, Salmon-20, Cod-18, Crab-17, Scallops-15
Grains (1 1/3 cup uncooked): Quinoa (2oz)-8, Buckwheat (2oz)-8, Wheat-8, Rice-5, Barley-6,
Dairy: Cottage cheese (1 cup)-25, Milk (1 cup)-9, Yogurt (1 cup)-8, Cheddar cheese (1 oz)-7,

Milk alternatives to soy

Zucchini Milk
Zucchini milk is ideal for making breads, cakes and cream soups.
2 1/2 pounds firm zucchini, peeled and cut into chunks
Place enough zucchini in a blender to fill it about one-quarter full. Process to a thick, smooth liquid. Pour into a large saucepan. Repeat to puree all the zucchini. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Cool briefly and pour into canning jars. Store in fridge for up to 1 week or in freezer.

Nut Milk
Place ‘/4 -2/3 cup raw or toasted nuts (cashews, almonds or brazil nuts) in a blender or food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, or until a fine powder forms. Turn off the blender. Using a narrow spatula, loosen the nuts in the bottom of the blender jar. Add 1/2 cup of water, 1/4tsp pure vanilla extract(optional) and 1 tsp honey or maple syrup if desired (omit the vanilla and sweetener for use in soups, gravies and cream sauces). Process for 2 minutes, or until very smooth. Add 1/2 cup of water and process for 10 seconds more. Makes about I cup.

Baking Suggestions:

Soy is another sneaky ingredient.  You would think simply eliminating soy milk or soy sauce would fix everything but it doesn’t.  Soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier for everything from rice milk to chocolate, to the oil used for making chips and nachos.  And that ‘vegetable’ oil and ‘vegetable’ shortening? same deal. Soy is in there.  Here are some suggestions for substituting.

For soy sauce,  replace it with Coconut Aminos, a similar tasting sauce that is made from raw fermented coconuts.  Crazy, I know- but really good!

For non-dairy milks, try making your own almond milk or cashew milk- Cashew is easiest- soak a bunch, then throw in the blender with water and sweeten to your preferance.

For chocolate- go with EnjoyLife brand chocolate chips, they’re the only ones that I’ve found soy free.  Alternatively, in baking you could use a mix of cocoa powder plus coconut oil or unhydrogenated organic palm oil plus honey or agave.

For vegetable oil, substitute in baking grapeseed oil- its light and flavourless.

For Shortening, substitute coconut oil or unhydrogenated organic palm oil.

Related Recipes:

Gluten Free Vegan Soy Free Pie Crust recipe: http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/gluten-free-pastry-gluten-free-pie-crust/

Soy, Dairy, Sugar Free Icing recipe: http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-soy-free-sugar-free-icing/

Marshmallow-free Rice Krispie Squares: http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/marshmallow-free-dairy-free-rice-krispie-squares/

Soy, Corn, Gluten Free Nacho chips: http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/corn-free-gluten-free-nacho-chips/

Reference options

Freedom from Allergy Cookbook, R.Greenberg and A.Nori
Juice for Life Cookbook, Ruth Tal Brown
The All Natural Allergy Cookbook, Jeanne Mari Martin
The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook, Marjorie Hurt Jones, R.N. Moosewood Cookbooks series
Laurel’s Kitchen