SoyMilk Crossroads

The health community recognizes the importance of fiber-rich foods.  Studies have shown three dangerous trends in the dietary patterns of most of the industrialized nations.

Less Fiber Food Eaten

The intake of dietary fiber is only about 20% of what it was a century ago.  As nations become more industrialized and wealthier there is a rise in the consumption of sugar, meat, fats, and dairy products (none of these contain fiber).  At the same time, there is a decrease in the use of grains and vegetables.

Refined Grains

The largest proportion of the grains consumed are in the processed or refined form.  These grains have been stripped of their outer layers which is where the fiber-rich nutrition is located.  The results of this practice are seen in such things as white bread, pasta and rice.

Increased Toxic Substances

With the increase in industry, the average person also has a steadily increasing intake of toxic substances.  This comes from both food additives and the environment.

Okara - High in Fiber and Protein

Okara is what nutritionists call “dietary plant fiber” which is essential for every well-balanced diet.  It provides a bulk or roughage necessary for cleaning out the body.  It also absorbs toxins, including environmental pollutants, and helps speed their passage out of the body.
 

When you make homemade soymilk, okara is the bean pulp by-product that is left.  It contains about 17% of the protein of the original soybeans, the rest going into the soymilk.  By utilizing okara in a variety of recipes you are adding health-giving fiber and protein to your diet.

In almost every nutrient, Soymilk is richer than dairy milk.  The one exception is calcium.  Even though the calcium in cow’s milk is difficult to digest because cow’s milk is for cows after all, that one ingredient makes some folks hang onto dairy milk.

Sesame to the Rescue!

Sesame seed is the world’s richest source of calcium.  It contains over six times as much calcium by weight as dairy milk.  Soy and sesame have complementary proteins.  When the two are combined they result in an abundance of high quality protein.
 

This Sesame Soymilk Recipe will give you and your children a high quality calcium and protein drink, which is essential for growing children.

• 1 Cup soymilk (warm)
• 1 to 1-1/2 tsps honey or natural sugar
• 1-1/2 to 2 Tsp tahini or sesame butter
• Dash of salt

Combine ingredients and mix well in a blender and enjoy.

Do your kids seem to always be sick? Stuffy or runny noses, sore throats, and earaches are common among kids, but if it’s happening to your kids much more than other kids, maybe it’s not a virus at fault.

Look at the Family Diet

Diets that contain a lot of dairy products may be putting families at risk. Numerous studies have shown that dairy products cause a host of health problems: excess phlegm, runny noses, constipation, chronic earaches, asthma, and bronchitis, to name a few. Conditions which many parents consider to be “just part of being a kid” are actually preventable by just eliminating dairy from the diet.

The Science Behind the Sickness

Why do our bodies react they way they do to dairy? One theory is that our immune systems are fooled into thinking that our bodies are under attack. The introduction of a foreign animal’s protein into our systems causes our immune systems to react protectively by producing extra phlegm. In other words, the body knows that cow milk doesn’t belong there. It rejects the milk and signals the nasal and throat membranes to produce all of the mucus necessary to get rid of the foreign substance.

The Healthier Option

There are so many good reasons for switching from dairy to soy. Your family’s health is probably the best reason of them all. It’s not difficult to avoid - or at least reduce - the common health problems of childhood when you make the healthy switch to soy.

What can you do with that pot of soymilk you just made?  I personally make four pots of soymilk each week.  That’s for a household of two.  And the other person isn’t into the whole soy thing as much as I am.

 Great Soymilk Uses 

Soymilk:  Two of the pots are just for the milk.  We use it for cereal, smoothies, and whatever cooking we do that calls for milk.  I love to experiment with different flavors.  But I always come back to the vanilla for some reason.  Addicted, I guess.
 

Tofu:  One pot of milk made in the Soyabella Soymilk Maker can in turn be used to make one block of tofu with the Soyabella Tofu Kit.  It’s a small mold and when you look at it, you just don’t think the tofu mixture will fit.  But it does.  Again, I experiment each week to see what I can with that tofu.
 

Yogurt:  One pot of milk is a liter (about a quart), which is exactly the amount that fills the seven yogurt jars in the Yolife Yogurt Maker.  But then if you want more than that, you can use whatever jars you like.  Some weeks I have to break down an make a second batch of yogurt.  When I use it in the smoothies, it can go fast.
 

Okara:  This is the wonderful by-product that you get with each pot of soymilk that you make.  It’s the bean pulp that’s left in the milk screen.  Each pot yields about 3/4 cup.  You can use it much the same way that you use tofu.  It’s loaded with protein.  Those of you throwing it away, well, you may want to look at other options.  There are some wonderful Okara recipes available.  My favorite is the Okara Burger Recipe.
 

Choices!  If you get tired of just drinking the soymilk, you may want to branch out and start experimenting with these other delights. 

Over the years, the numerous health benefits of soymilk have been published.  Aside from the fact that it is a great calcium and protein source alternative for those who are lactose-intolerant, it also provides a great deal of other health benefits to your body.

Here’s a quick look into the health benefits of soymilk:

• It can help reduce the risks of prostate cancer.
• It can help reduce the negative effects of menopause.
• It can help lower your cholesterol level.
• Soymilk is a great alternative for those who have milk allergies.

Watch the Carbs

You can include diabetes in the above list – because recent studies show that soymilk actually helps with this ailment.  If you are diabetic, you have to keep close watch of the carbohydrate content of the foods that you are eating.  When you compare soymilk to non-fat milk, the latter contains more carbs. 
 

Regular drinking of soymilk has been shown to improve the blood glucose level of those who are suffering from diabetes.  If you have any concerns, of course, talk to your physician.  More doctors are recommending soy everyday.
 

Then when you’re ready for a new adventure start making your own soymilk.  It’s fresher, contains only the sweeteners and flavors you want to add, and costs so much less than the store bought.

It’s back to school time now for most of the United States. If you have dairy-free kids going into school for the first time, you should be prepared for the issues that may come up with school lunches.

The Food Pyramid at Work

In nearly every school in America, milk is a standard part of the lunches that are served in the cafeteria. Because of USDA regulations, schools are required to provide foods from all of the standard food groups - including dairy. That means that in addition to the dairy-heavy food (think pizza, macaroni and cheese, and yogurt), your child’s school lunches will probably be required to have a small carton of milk included.

Come With a Note

Some schools are more progressive than others and offer the option to substitute soy milk for dairy milk. In order to take advantage of this option, you will more than likely need a note from your child’s doctor stating that they are not allowed to have dairy. However, it is still difficult to get dairy-free food from a school cafeteria that consists of anything more than a tossed salad.

If All Else Fails, Pack a Lunch

In our school district, soy substitutions are not offered. If we provide the school with a doctor’s note, our lactose intolerant daughter would be allowed to drink juice instead of milk with lunch. However, they do not offer any accommodations for the food in the lunches.
 

In order to keep our daughter safe and healthy, we’ve opted to send her to school with a packed lunch every day. We invested in a good-quality insulated drink container, and she takes it to school every day full of delicious homemade soy milk.

A Happy Ending

Although lactose intolerant kids can’t share in a lot of the school treats that other kids will have, they can bring along their own treats. Packing a lunch every morning with your child can be a great opportunity to spend some extra time with them. Give your child some input into their lunch and they won’t feel cheated because they can’t eat what the other kids are eating.

 
Every morning, I remind my daughter that she is very special because she gets to choose what to take to school instead of eating what’s on the menu. She loves showing off her tasty dairy-free food to all of her new school friends!

For the busy person, there are few beverages that are as easy to make that pack the punch and taste of a smoothie.

Love These Nutritious Drinks

Smoothies are nutritious on all fronts since fruits contain lots of vitamins and minerals, and soymilk is a great low-carb source of protein. In addition, using soymilk and/or soy yogurt in a fruit smoothie can help to lower your cholesterol.

Ingredients

• 2 cups soymilk
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 or 3 strawberries (if available)
•  ½ cup pineapple juice
• 1 small mango (or even less since the taste is strong)
• A pinch of cinnamon powder

Method

Combine all the fruits in a blender, add the soymilk and blend until you have a nice think, smooth drink.   Serve with ice if you wish, or you can use cold soymilk and serve right away.

 
Note: You can add any tropical fruit in season that you want. The quantity of fruits used depends on whether or not you want that fruit taste to dominate.  Also, you can opt to have a very, thick smoothie or one that is more liquid in texture depending on your preference.

When you make soymilk there is a wonderful by-product called Okara.  It’s the bean pulp left in the milk screen. 

Soymilk By-Product

Most people that are new to making soymilk just throw this away.  But it contains about 17% of the protein of the soybeans that you started with to make your soymilk.  This is good stuff people are throwing away. 

Dry-Roast Okara and Use as a Flour

One of the great things you can do with okara is dry-roast it for other recipes.  Roasting okara is a necessary step to reduce the water content and give it a light fluffy texture.  Then you can add it to breads, muffins and even cookies to not only save on flour but to also give much lighter results to the baking.
 

To roast your okara, heat it in a skillet or wok.  Do not use oil.  You want it to dry.  Roast over a low heat and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes or until it looks light and dry but not browned.
 

 Drying okara also works well in the open.  Spread it out on a large baking ban.  Heat it for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

A Great Addition to Baking 

By combining soy protein with that of grains, the okara can boost the total protein content by as much as 32 percent.  You can use it in muffins, waffles and with all yeasted breads.  Change your recipes to use 2 parts flour to 1 part packed okara.

One of the biggest reasons that people resist making their own soy milk is the taste. Since homemade soy milk is not as sweet as the commercially prepared kind, a lot of soy milk drinkers don’t think that the homemade variety would be good for drinking.

Leave the Sugar Out

Many commercial soy milks use the kind of unhealthy sweeteners that health-conscious people try to avoid. If only it were possible to make soy milk at home that tastes like the kind you get in the stores.
 

Don’t worry! There’s a simple way to make your homemade soy milk sweeter, naturally and without the use of refined sugar.

An Easy, Sweeter Soy Milk

After you’ve made a fresh batch of soy milk, let it cool for a few minutes. Then drop in 6-8 pitted, unsulfured dates. Let it sit for around 30 minutes. Then pour the soy milk and dates into a blender and whir it all together until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until cold, then shake well before serving.

Naturally Sweet is Great for Drinking

The dates add a delicious sweetness to homemade soy milk while also making it thicker. While this naturally sweetened soy milk is great for drinking, it may be too sweet for cooking or baking with. To get around this problem, keep a jug of plain soy milk and a jug of sweetened soy milk in your fridge. That way you’ll always have the perfect soy milk whenever you need it!

When you’re cooking or baking without dairy, it’s not always easy to find suitable substitutions. Even if the grocery store has the dairy free alternative you need, you don’t always want to buy a whole container for just one serving. So what do you do when you want just a little of something?

Use What You Have

You can get creative in the kitchen and substitute things you already have on hand. If you’re making tacos or baked potatoes and want a non-dairy sour cream, mix a spoonful of plain soy yogurt with a drop or two of lemon juice.
 

When you want to make pudding from a mix, using soy milk will prevent the pudding from setting properly. Use less soy milk and add 1/4 cup of cornstarch to make the pudding set correctly.
 

Want a creamy salad dressing that’s free of dairy? Blend a block of tofu with an envelope of onion soup mix (make sure the soup is non-dairy) and enjoy on your favorite veggies. And when you’re making a dip that calls for cream cheese, tofu is a great substitute.
 

Blended tofu, added to vegetable broth, makes a delicious non-dairy cream soup base. Plain, unsweetened soymilk makes excellent creamy mashed potatoes.

Be Brave and Discover New Soy Substitutes

Experimenting with tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt in recipes is the best way to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to try new things and discover how great dairy-free tastes!