Soy Milk: Dairy's Natural Competitor

Soy milk is quickly becoming a favorite choice for health-conscious Americans, and is now available by multiple manufacturers and even flavors. Today, we can choose form Vanilla, low-fat, chocolate, and coffee flavors that provide a rich protein source and tasty alternative to regular cow’s milk.

Soy milk is a Chinese tradition, and homemade soy milk is processed by straining soaked soybeans through water. The remaining fluid is the ‘milk’, and today’s processing techniques are completed with machines. To improve the flavor and texture, companies today have added oils, sugars, and stabilizers to make a soy drink, not necessarily the traditional soy milk.
Using soybeans for the mass production of soy milk also limits the environmental impact and may have ecological advantages. Cultivation of soybeans can help developing world countries that have limited opportunities in cow, rice, or other vegetable cultivation. It may open doors for more varieties and reduce ecological damage to fertile soil in the long term. Organic farmers will benefit greatly from the demand in soy-based products over the next few years.

Plain soy milk has a high nutrition value, with a high protein content, B-vitamins, lecithin, and vitamin E. It contains natural-occurring isoflavanes that may lead to reduced cardiovascular disease and improved bone health. Many brands are fortified with calcium, which increases its attractiveness over regular milk. Since soy milk is lactose-free, it is a good alternative for those with allergies or lactose intolerant. Many soy drinks, however, are sweetened versions of the milk, so do check the nutrition facts to make sure these are as natural as possible.