The use of soy-protein based baby formula is popular with parents because some parents think this food will help babies with gas, fussiness, or colic. However, switching baby formula usually doesn't relieve these symptoms. And since soy baby formulas usually cost a few dollars more than cow's milk-based formulas, parents shouldn't be quick to try them unless they are medically indicated.
On the other hand, if your pediatrician thinks that a change to a soy formula is necessary for your baby, you can be reassured that they are just as good as other formulas and are readily available wherever baby formula is sold.
These soy baby formulas include:
- Enfamil ProSobee
- Similac Soy Isomil
- Gerber Good Start Soy
- Parent's Choice Soy (Wal-Mart brand baby formula)
- Earth's Best Organic Soy Infant Formula
Soy-based formulas remain popular with parents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 'Soy protein-based formulas in the United States may account for nearly 20 percent to 25 percent of the formula market.' This rate may be higher than it needs to be because there are few medical conditions for which a baby actually needs a soy formula. Most newborns and infants who aren't breastfeeding will do just fine on a regular cow's milk-based baby formula, such as Enfamil Infant, Similac Advance, or Parent's Choice Advantage.
When to Switch to Soy Formula
Pediatricians usually recommend soy formula for those babies who need it, including infants with:
- Primary lactase deficiency—a rare condition in which is born without the enzyme to digest the sugar lactose
- Diarrhea and a temporary lactase deficiency (switching babies to soy formula when they have diarrhea is controversial and usually not recommended)
A soy formula can also be a good choice if parents wish to raise their baby as a vegetarian and the mother isn't breastfeeding. Since there are no completely vegan baby formulas, an organic soy formula may be a good choice for vegan parents who want to raise their baby as a vegan, too.
When to Avoid Switching to Soy Formula
Soy formula is usually not recommended for infants who have:
- Colic or fussiness, since it will likely not be helpful
- A cow milk protein allergy, since many of these infants can also be allergic to soy proteins and should drink an extensively hydrolyzed protein formula instead, such as Nutramigen or Alimentum
- A high risk for food allergies and you are trying to prevent them from getting developing food allergies—if not breastfeeding, these babies should likely drink Nutramigen or Alimentum and not a soy- or cow's milk-based formula
- Been born premature, since they can lead to decreased bone mineralization, even when the babies are given supplemental calcium
Unless there is another good reason to start your baby on a soy formula, if you stop breastfeeding before your baby is 12 months old or need to supplement, you can likely just use a cow's milk-based formula instead of a soy formula.
Is Soy Formula Harmful?
Soy formula can be harmful to premature babies, but the American Academy of Pediatrics states that 'there is no conclusive evidence from animal, adult human, or infant populations that dietary soy isoflavones may adversely affect human development, reproduction, or endocrine function.'
One of the concerns is that phytoestrogens, especially isoflavones, may have estrogen-like activity. Some experts question the effect that soy products influence on a child's immune function and thyroid function, although again, the AAP says that research has been done and has not shown any risks or long-term adverse effects from drinking soy baby formula.
One last concern is that soy-protein formula contains a relatively high level of aluminum as compared to breast milk and cow's milk-based formula. This exposure is not thought to be a problem for full-term infants, though, but may lead to reduced bone mineralization in preterm babies.
Soy Milk Versus Cow's Milk
Like soy baby formula, soy milk is becoming popular with older children, both for children with milk allergies and for parents who are simply trying to avoid cow's milk.
Soy milk can be a good substitute for cow's milk, but soy milk is all reduced fat or low fat and so is not usually a good choice until a child is at least 2 years old.
Although some poorly sourced websites recommend giving whole-fat soy milk to toddlers under 2 years old, no brands of soy milk have the equivalent amount of fat per serving as whole milk. Whole cow's milk has 8g of fat per serving, while 2 percent reduced-fat milk has about 5g of fat. Most brands of soy milk only have 4g to 5g of fat per serving or less. In fact, low-fat soy milk only has about 2.5g of fat, which is the equivalent of 1 percent cow's milk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that 'young children need calories from fat for growth and brain development,' and that 'this is especially important in the first two years of life.' So if you do give your toddler reduced-fat milk, make up for that missed fat in other parts of your child's diet.
Article Sources- American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report. Use of Soy Protein-Based Formulas in Infant Feeding. PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 5 May 2008, pp. 1062-1068.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Guide to Your Child's Nutrition.
Luckily for those of us avoiding dairy, there are many milk substitutes available for drinking as well as for cooking and baking. Following are a few ideas for replacing cow’s milk in your diet.
Replacing Cow’s Milk As A Beverage
You can find many milk substitutes in the dairy aisle of the grocery store. They vary in taste, texture (thickness/creaminess) and nutrient content. The amount of protein especially varies between cow’s milk and milk alternatives, however, they are usually fortified with similar amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
Here are some of the milk substitutes available:
- Almond (not a good alternative for those with a tree nut allergy)
- Coconut (considered a tree nut by the FDA. If you’re allergic to tree nuts, ask your allergist is coconut is safe for you)
- Hemp
- Oat
- Potato
- Soy
- Rice
To compare nutrients in each milk substitute, check out this Milk Substitute Comparison Chart.
As you will notice, the nutrient profile of soy milk is most similar to cow’s milk. If you can have soy then soy milk is a good option. If you can’t have soy, choose a substitute based on what taste and texture you like the most and, of course, what is safe for you.
The Versatility of Powdered Potato Milk
The potato milk that I have used is Vance’s DariFree which is a powdered potato milk. The advantage of using a powdered form of any milk substitute is that you can control the concentration of the milk which can be useful in making other substitutes.
You can use powdered potato milk to make the following milk substitutes:
Half and Half
I’ve used powdered potato milk as a half and half substitute in many recipes and it works well. Just mix 1/3 cup powdered potato milk to 1 cup hot water and mix well.
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is just concentrated milk (with about 60% of the water removed). To make a dairy free version, mix 1/2 c. of potato milk powder with 1 c. of hot water.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Sweetened condensed milk is just evaporated milk with sugar added. To make your own dairy free version, make 1 c. of evaporated milk (recipe above) and, over medium heat, dissolve 1-1/2 c. of granulated sugar in the mixture. I used this substitute in this Dairy Free Fudge recipe.
Buttermilk
Traditional buttermilk is the slightly sour liquid that is leftover after butter is churned. It is often used in recipes for a more complex flavor and helps baked goods rise.
To make 1 cup of buttermilk:
- Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar OR lemon juice in a glass measuring cup
- Add your choice of milk to equal 1 cup
Of course, the flavor will not the same as buttermilk but that acidity will still be present.
Related
I have a confession to make: I don’t really drink alternative milk. Being part Swedish, I could drink heavy cream all day longand love it. But not everyone is blessed with an iron stomach; there are those among us that, due to dietary restrictions or lifestyle choice, need to drink dairy alternatives.
Alternative milk is a necessary part of taking care of your customer’s needs. And if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Tenses book pdf. So I decided to do a taste test with various readily available alternative milks. I’ll go over why I chose the milks I did and why I left others out. And I’ll even give you a recipe for making your own nut milk.
Lee este artículo en español Alto a los Lácteos: Una Guía Para Baristas Sobre Leches Alternativas
The 4 Main Types of Alternative Milk
With all the special diets out there, the demand for alternative milk is at an all time high and will only grow. There are a number of readily available options, particularly if you live in urban areas. But after conducting an informal survey of my alternative-milk-drinking friends, I narrowed down my list of alternative milks to just four choices: soy, almond, hemp, and cashew. Some milks were left off because they are generally considered to not mix well with coffee (pistachio and coconut). Others, like macadamia nut, though popular among Third Wave coffee shops were unavailable in my small town and so could not be included in the taste test.
The taste test was conducted by steaming the milks and using them in cappuccinos, in the hope of really highlighting both how the milk interacted with the espresso and how well it steamed. This, to me, is an important part of the test: alternative milks are notorious for steaming badly, in turn making latte artincredibly difficult.
1. Soy
Soy was chosen, in spite of the disdain for it among third wave coffee professionals, because it is a non-dairy and non-nut alternative. Many people, my wife included, have nut allergies and may need or chose to avoid dairy.
The milk steamed reasonably well and I was able to produce some blurry latte art in the cappuccino. It produced a distinct sipping chocolate flavor when combined with espresso. There was a thick layer of microfoam that didn’t dissipate.
I think soy has a bit of an acquired taste. If you grew up drinking it, it’s likely that you enjoy it. If you didn’t, like a lot of us in the West, then you may have to work at it to enjoy it.
Steaming soy milk is hard. It often gets washed out or clumps.
2. Almond
I find, in my shop, that almond is the most popular milk alternative. And for those looking to avoid soy products it’s a great place to start.
The almond milk we used felt thin when compared with the soy milk. However, the taste was superior to soy and asserted itself much less than the soy. Because it was thinner, the almond milk steamed much closer to skim milk.
Commercial almond milk is often thin and watery. Fix it by making your own.
3. Hemp
If you want to avoid both soy and nuts, then you’re probably going to look at hemp milk. It steams very much like soy but the taste is quite different. For lack of a better culinary equivalent the taste is similar to rope. (Yum.)
It washes out easily and, unlike soy, the microfoam will eventually dissipate – with the key word there being “eventually”.
Hemp milk had a similar consistency to soy.
4. Cashew
Cashew milk is similar to almond milk. In fact, if you want strictly cashew milk, make sure you read the label because sometimes commercial cashew milks are blended with other nut milks.
It’s sweeter than almond milk and has a milder nutty taste. Steaming cashew milk also presents the problems typically associated with alternative milks; it’s even thinner than almond milk. It also consistently produced large, soap-like bubbles.
Cashew milk: the thinnest of the bunch.
Alternative milks have always presented a unique set of problems for baristas. Lacking in milk fat, they often don’t steam as nicely as cow’s milk.
However, good results can be achieved with practice. Aggressive grooming of the steamed milk is often necessary. Spend the time you need to get excellent, consistent results – just like when you were learning how to steam milk.
And to see even better results, don’t just rely on store-bought milk.
Make Your Own Nut Milk: A Recipe
I work in a shop that makes a lot of things in house. We roast our own coffee. We create all our own syrups and sauces. We make a lot of our food from scratch. But I was always scared to make my own nut milks. There was something mysterious about it that kept me from giving it a try.
Making your own almond or other nut milk can help balance out the problems often found in commercial versions – and it’s only two ingredients.
Then I was assigned to write about alternative milk and figured no article on the subject would be complete without a recipe for making your very own. Much to my relief, it turned out to be far easier than I’d expected.
Follow this recipe for easy nut milk:
- Select some unsalted nuts. I used roasted almonds for my experiment. Most recipes call for raw nuts, but I think the roasting brings out more flavor.
- Soak the nuts in water overnight in the fridge. You can soak them for longer if need be – just make sure it’s no shorter.
- When you’re ready to make the milk, drain off the water and rinse the nuts. Place 1 cup in a blender and add 1 ¾ cups of filtered water (water ratio can be adjusted if needed). The better your water tastes, the better your milk will taste. Blend the nuts and water for 3 to 5 minutes on high. The results should be a puree.
- Strain the puree through cheesecloth and squeeze it until you have damp nut flour.
- Return the milk to the blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to obtain a smooth and consistent flavor.
- The nut milk will tend to separate fairly quickly. Shake it to recombine, and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
When we tasted our house-made almond milk next to the commercial one, there was no contest. The house made almond milk was richer, more flavorful, and steamed much more like cow’s milk than any of the commercial alternative milks. If you are able to make your own nut milks, it’s definitely worth the effort.
Alternative milks are a part of the third wave landscape now and their popularity are increasing. As baristas, we owe it to our customers to give them the best product possible by putting in the same hard work we did when first learning to steam milk. And even if you’re never convinced, house-made almond milk will give your customers the lactose-free coffee experience they’re after – complete with latte art.
Written by E. Squires. Photos by E. Squires (@ercsguitar).
Feature Photo Credit: FrankBoe
Perfect Daily Grind.
Like many food allergies, having a soy allergy means preparing food from scratch more often since prepared foods at grocery stores often contain soy in one form or another. Finding soy substitutes can be a challenge especially if you also have a dairy allergy as many dairy substitutes contain soy.
While we eat soy freely in our house, we did avoid it for a while because of a false-positive allergy test (we didn’t know it was false at the time, of course!) I can really sympathize with those of you avoiding both dairy and soy because your substitute options can be difficult to find. You’ll notice that a lot of soy AND dairy free products are coconut based. Please note that coconut, according to the FDA, is a tree nut (though, technically it is a fruit). Either way, be sure that coconut is a safe alternative for you.
This page has been mostly put together based on requests from visitors looking for substitutions for soy based foods. If you have a substitute that is not listed, please share it with me!
Milk
If you can have dairy, this one is pretty obvious – cow’s milk should fit the bill nicely. But if you are allergic to dairy AND soy, it isn’t quite as obvious. Dairy and soy free options include potato, rice, hemp, almond and coconut milk. Program kerja kepala sekolah smp. While they vary in calorie and protein content, most milk substitutes are fortified with comparable amounts of calcium and vitamin D. You can read about other milk substitutes on the dairy substitutes page.
Margarine
When I first started looking for soy free margarine, I had a very difficult time finding it. The options that I found were both made especially for Passover (Mother’s Margarine for Passover and Migdal Margarine for Passover) and can only be found in stores at that time.
Luckily, there is now a soy, dairy free margarine that is available year round. It is Earth Balance Buttery Spread. Earth balance makes a variety of “buttery spreads” so be sure to find the soy free variety. You can use this in cooking and baking just like you would use butter and it is free of trans fats.
Shortening
Most shortening varieties that you find at the regular grocery store are made from soybean oil (and most contain trans fats). Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening 24 Oz - 2 Pack' target='_blank'>Spectrum shortening is a great option if you are avoiding soybean oil. You can buy it online and can also be found in your local specialty food store. If you have a dairy AND soy allergy, this would be a great alternative to margarine for baking.
Coconut oil is another substitute option that can be used in place of shortening and margarine. Just use the same amount of coconut oil as you would shortening or margarine.
Soy Sauce
Do a web search for “soy free soy sauce” and you’ll find a number of ideas on how to make it yourself.
Don’t feel like making it from scratch? Again, there is a coconut based “soy” sauce that is soy free. You can find it at Amazon.com
Miso
I have to admit, I have never had miso so I wouldn’t miss it if I had to avoid soy. If one of the visitors to this site hadn’t asked meabout a miso soup substitution, I wouldn’t have sought out a substitute. I searched the Internet and found South River Miso, a company that makes several types of soy free miso. They also have recipes for miso soup. If you are missing miso or feeling adventurous, check it out!
Cheese
If you aren’t allergic to dairy, this is what would be called a “no-brainer”. Go grab your favorite variety out of the dairy case and enjoy! If you are avoiding dairy AND soy, however, cheese can be more difficult to track down. One option is Rice Vegan Slices. Read more about Rice Vegan Slices here.
Ice Cream
Again, if you’re not allergic to dairy, you should be able to find a lot of ice cream options. If you’re allergic to dairy AND soy, you have fewer options. If coconut is a “safe” alternative for you, there are some great coconut milk ice cream options. So Delicious is one brand that makes a variety of options.
Yogurt
Good Substitute For Soy
Once again, if you’re not allergic to dairy this one is pretty easy. If you are allergic to dairy AND soy, coconut milk yogurt is one option for you. And, again, So Delicious makes a variety of coconut based products, including coconut milk yogurt. You can find it at your local specialty food store.
Another option is made by Daiya Foods which also makes cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream that is dairy and soy free. These products do have pea protein and coconut so they are not suitable for folks with those allergies.
Chocolate Chips
Non Dairy Substitute For Milk
Enjoy Life makes a variety of soy free, dairy free, nut free chocolate chips. They taste like any other type of chocolate chip so they work well in cookies and bars. They also melt well so they can be used in things like fudge and other candies.