SoyMilk Crossroads

A little-known fact about making your own soy milk and tofu is that there are different types of soybeans to use for different purposes.  Some soybeans are best for processing into products like meat substitutes.  Others are best for harvesting young and eating straight out of the pod (edamame).  And some types of soybeans are ideal for being made into the creamy soy milk that you know and love so well.

Soybean Types 

Although there are some soybean types, like the Laura soybean, that are pretty much universally loved for soy milk, the type of bean that you use will depend largely on personal tastes.  Some people like a tangier taste to their soy milk and others like a smooth and mellow taste.

Mix and Match Soybeans 

The best way to find the perfect soybean type for you is to try a few different kinds.  Order a small quantity of several types and make a batch of soy milk with each.  Ask your family to try each type and keep notes on what you liked and disliked about each one.  You may even want to try a custom blend of two or more types of soy beans.  That way you will get the benefits of your favorite types all mixed into one delicious milk.

Find the Soybean for your taste

There are many sources for ordering soybeans online these days.  Many sellers will be happy to send you a sample of their beans if you don’t want to invest in a large quantity right away.  It’s definitely worth the time and effort it takes to find the perfect soybean for your tastes.

When you give up dairy, no matter what the reason for your decision, one of the first things you’ll miss will probably be desserts. Commercially-made and homemade desserts alike are among the foods most likely to contain dairy. So does living dairy-free mean that you have to give up your favorite sweet treats? Not at all! Soymilk can be substituted measure-for-measure in nearly every type of dessert. For desserts that require more of a solid base, whipped silken tofu can take the place of cream cheese, whipped cream or yogurt. This delicious chocolate pie uses only a few ingredients and requires no baking, making it the perfect summertime treat.

No Bake Chocolate Dream Pie

Ingredients:

24-25 ounces silken tofu
 
3/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (a honey-like sweetener that can usually be found in the health food aisle at the supermarket)
 
1 Tblsp vanilla extract
 
1/2 cup cocoa powder
 

Graham cracker pie shell (homemade or store-bought)
 

Directions:
 

Blend tofu in food processor or blender until all lumps disappear.
 

Heat syrup or agave nectar in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
 

Pour sweetener over cocoa powder and mix together until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
 

Add chocolate mixture to blended tofu and blend again for 60-90 seconds.
 

Pour into graham cracker pie shell or individual custard cups. Place in refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours, until firm.
 

Before serving, garnish individual servings with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

If you are into health stuff and love to go up and down the health section of your local grocery, chances are you have picked up your fair share of soymilk to consume at home.
 

But there is also a great way to get the good stuff without having to go to the grocery – a way that also allows you to save six to ten times on this particularly yummy and healthy drink!

Great Kitchen Appliance

If you want to stay healthy and spend less, you should consider getting a soymilk maker and make it a part of your kitchen. This is a kitchen appliance that cooks soymilk straight from the soybeans itself.
 

Many people are turning to soymilk makers because they realize they can save so much if they simply buy the soybeans and make the soymilk themselves. The great thing about soymilk makers is that you can also customize your beverage to suit your taste or even if you have any specific nutritional requirement.

Save Time and Money

In addition, the soymilk maker also processes okara, which is a soy pulp by-product that is a great ingredient to use when you are cooking up many healthy recipes at home.
 

The more traditional means of making soymilk at home will require of you more than just a bit of elbow grease, and this is where the maker comes in. It is able to perform the entire process of turning soybeans into milk on its own as a way of saving you not just money, but time as well.

If there is one drink that has become a staple in vegetarian diets, that is none other than soymilk.  Over the years, it is not just the vegetarians but also the lactose-intolerant individuals who are making the switch from cow’s milk to soymilk. Finally, it has a lot of health benefits that you just cannot find from an ordinary carton of cow’s milk. 

Some quick facts about soymilk:

1. Soymilk is a great protein source alternative which does not contain as much calories as cow’s milk.
 
2. Soymilk is a great calcium source alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.
 
3. Soymilk, produced from soybeans, is rich in unsaturated fats.
 
4. Soymilk is rich is isoflavones, phytochemicals and antioxidants which all help reduce the risks of cancer.
 
5. Soymilk is high in dietary fiber content, making soymilk help reduce the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Make your own Soymilk

If you would like to enjoy all these benefits and more, you can easily buy a soymilk maker. Soymilk making machines are a cheap way to produce your own milk. It is more practical than buying carton after carton of soymilk from the supermarket.  Finally, you can gain control of the additional ingredients that can be incorporated with your soymilk.

You can hear quite a bit about lactose intolerance in the news today. It seems that with every passing year, more and more people become unable to handle eating and drinking dairy products.
 
Certain ethnic and cultural groups experience lactose intolerance more than others. Almost every adult has a lack of natural lactase, a digestive enzyme that helps the body process dairy. The body’s production of the enzyme reduces dramatically after infancy. Some people experience no adverse symptoms at all when consuming dairy, but many get bloated and gassy after eating milk, cheese, ice cream, or other dairy products.

Is it Lactose Intolerance?

Those people who don’t experience adverse symptoms when eating dairy have adequate amounts of lactic acid bacteria in their intestines. Those of us who don’t have enough lactic acid bacteria are lactose intolerant. Instead of breaking down like it should, the lactose that we eat ferments in our intestines and causes distress. The symptoms vary between people, but often include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
 

Since the symptoms of lactose intolerance can sometimes mimic the flu or food poisoning, some people just don’t realize that they have a problem digesting dairy. If you do suspect that you are lactose intolerant, there aren’t any medical tests that your doctor can perform. They will likely suggest that you cut out all dairy foods for a few days and then slowly add them back in. If you get ill, that’s a good indication that you should avoid dairy.

How Do You Treat Lactose Intolerance?

While there is an abundance of products labeled as “lactose free,” a large portion of lactose intolerant people still have a problem digesting these. And if your digestion problem is more like an allergy, lactose free products won’t be of any help. The best way to be sure that you don’t have any type of reaction to the foods you eat is to avoid all dairy, even those said to be lactose free.
 

Luckily, that’s not so difficult these days. Soy milk and other dairy free products used to be available only in health food stores, but they can now be found in regular supermarkets. They do, however, get to be expensive. The best way to handle your lactose digestion problem while managing your grocery expenses is to make your own soymilk, soy yogurt, and tofu. These dairy-free products help you manage your food sensitivity while providing healthy soy protein. And how many dairy eating people can say that they make their own milk in their own kitchen?

Those who are already familiar with the taste of soymilk would know that it is not just ideal for those who are lactose intolerant – but for everyone who would like to experience additional benefits to their health.

High quality calcium in soymilk

As compared to cow’s milk, soymilk contains more high-quality calcium and less saturated fat.  It also helps prevent the risks of prostate cancer, it lowers your bad cholesterol level and it is high in fiber.
 

Now, just like sipping coffee from your very own cappuccino machine, soymilk tastes a lot better if it is made from your very own ‘milk machine’.  When you compare all the other soymilk makers in the market today, Soyabella Soymilk Maker is the best of the lot.

Great Features

If you’re as useless as I am in the kitchen, you would appreciate the easy one-touch operation of the Soymilk Maker – which has multiple program settings. For decreased clutter, it has a detachable power cord. 
 

Also, Soyabella has an elegant black trim in stainless steel carafe.  What I personally like about the design is the enclosed heating coil, making it safe to handle.  Finally, there’s an easy-pour spout so filling your glass with soymilk is a breeze. 

Award winning Machine

The Soyabella Soymilk Maker gets five stars in my book for the design, functionality and aesthetic quality.  Apparently, others agree because it won the 2007 Bronze Award of Excellence for recognition in product innovation.  Not bad for something which makes milk healthy and easy, right?

What does it take to lead a dairy-free life? Is it as simple as passing over the cartons of milk decorated with lively-looking cows? Can you wake up one morning and decide to quit dairy once and for all, then never look back?

Standard American Diet (SAD)

If you live in America, the chances are that living dairy-free won’t be quite that easy. Dairy products and by-products have become such a major part of the Standard American Diet (SAD) that they are in a large percentage of prepared foods.

Try finding a muffin, cookie, or biscuit in a supermarket or restaurant that doesn’t contain dairy and you’ll be in for quite a challenge. Even products that have no business being laced with dairy sometimes harbor oddly-named ingredients that have seen the inside of a cow’s udder.

Dairy-free Lifestyle

I’m living proof that you can accomplish a dairy-free life in a dairy-loving world, though it is difficult at times. I will be leading you through a few of the trials and tribulations that I and my family have experienced. My husband and I both became lactose intolerant as adults after living our first twenty-some years as avid dairy consumers. Our oldest child, a brilliant boy who is nearly nine, has never had any food allergy problems. Our middle child, a giggly girl of almost five, just developed a lactose digestion problem a few months ago. And our youngest daughter, our three-year-old whirlwind, has had problems with dairy since birth. Oh, and did I mention that my husband and I are vegetarians?

Hamburger Helper Anyone?

With a semi-large family and such a mixed bag of dietary needs and allowances, how do we make dinnertime work? The truth is that it’s not as easy as pulling out a box of Hamburger Helper and whipping something up in a few minutes. But a dairy-free lifestyle can be achieved if you want or need to avoid milk and all of its derivatives. In fact, learning to cook without meat or dairy has made me into a pretty decent chef (if I do say so myself) and making my own soy milk and tofu has turned out to be more rewarding than I could have imagined.

I’ll be writing here regularly to share tips, recipes, and helpful information about living dairy-free. If you have any questions about lactose intolerance, dairy-free products, or how to get your family to embrace soy products, I’m your girl. Just leave a comment!