SoyMilk Crossroads

We’ve been running a Summer Special on the Soyabella Soymilk Maker.

Deluxe Soyabella Package

 The package contains the Soymilk Maker, a 2 pound bag of Organic Soybeans, the Soyabella Tofu Kit, the Stainless Carafe Lid, and a bottle of the natural sweeter, Agave Nectar.
 

 We only have a few packages left and the doors will close as soon as the last package is gone.  We’ve even been doing a count down on the Deluxe Package web page so that visitors know where things stand. 
 

If you’ve been giving thought to the idea of switching from store-bought soymilk and tofu and beginning your own production at home, then you’ll want to take a close look at this package.

Commercial mayonnaise consist of at least 65% fat.  And of course, a variety of preservatives.  Those jars seem to last way too long in the frig.
 

Here is a basic tofu mayonnaise that contains no eggs and very little oil.  It’s ideal for use in low-calorie and low-fat diets.  Keep it refrigerated and use it within two days.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of tofu
• 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (or equal parts of each)
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or 2 tsp soy sauce
• dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Chill before serving.

Variations:  You have the basics, now for the variety of add-ons

• Onion - 1/4 cup chopped onion.  This is great with most fried tofu and most vegetable dishes.
• Dill & Garlic - 1/4 tsp dill and 1 glove minced garlic to replace the pepper.
• Pickle - chop up two small cucumber pickles and use over slided tomatoes.
• Celery & Onion - 3 Tbsp of each, diced.  Goes very well with squash dished.
• Mustard - 1 tsp hot mustard.  You’ll love this with fresh tomatoes, fried tofu or steamed broccoli
• Raisins - 2/3 cup raisins.  Cut back on half the salt.  Serve as a topping over apples or on Waldorf salads.

That should get you going.  Experiment.  Try a variety of herbs, too.

The protein value of a food depends on two factors:

• Quantity - how much protein is in the food.  This is expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the food.
• Quality - is the percentage of protein in a food that can be utilized by the body.  This is expressed in a protein score called Net Protein Utilization. (NPU)

Quantity of Protein

The chart shows the top 20 protein food sources.  It can be seen that the highest percentages of protein are found in plant rather than animal foods.  In fact, soy foods hold 10 of the 20 slots, including the top five.

The NPU Chart

The NPU is a biological value or protein score given to foods that refers to the percent of protein that the human body can use.
 

It’s based largely on the food’s ability to digest and how it’s amino acids match the pattern required by the body.
 

 On this chart you can see that chicken and tofu have the exact same protein value.

How to Use the Charts Together 

By combining these two charts you can calculate the usable protein of various foods.  Here’s an example.  The daily protein requirement for an adult male is around 43 grams. 
 

Regular Tofu contains 8% protein, 65% of that is considered usable by our bodies.  Let’s do the math.  One 8-ounce (227 gram) serving of tofu gives us 227 x .08 x .65 = 11.8 grams of usable protein.  That’s more than 27% of the daily requirement.
 

If you do the math, you find that the same amount of usable protein can be supplied by 3 ounces of steak or 5.5 ounces of hamburger.  The cost is much higher, of course.

Quality of Protein

The charts allow you to calculate the usable protein, but that in itself is an extremely small picture about the actually value of the these foods.  It is a common misconception that the food value of meat is superior to plant.  Protein is protein.  But what we put our bodies through to get that protein is another whole story.
 

 Americans presently obtain about 70% of all their protein from animal foods.  Because of that, the standard American diet contains one of the world’s highest proportions of saturated fats and cholesterol.  Cholesterol medication is a booming industry in our country.

Unique Quality of Tofu

Tofu is very unique among high protein foods.  It is low in calories and saturated fats and completely free of cholesterol.  It’s also an excellent source of calcium.  Tofu is also a good source for other minerals such as iron, phosphororus, potassium, sodium, B vitamins, choline and fat-souble vitamin E.

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.

I love milkshakes.  Giving them up was out of the question.  Finding an alternative to dairy milk and ice cream was a must. 

Here’s one of my favorites:

• 6 ounces of tofu
• 3 small frozen bananas, or fresh with 3 ice cubes
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 cup cold soy milk

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.  Serve immediately!!
 

Note:  Want ice cream instead?  Don’t add the 1/4 cup of milk.  Enjoy!!

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!