🌱 Soy milk

Soy milk is a plant-based drink made from soybeans. It is made like this: the beans are soaked, ground with water, boiled and strained. Heating is needed to improve the taste, make the drink safe and destroy substances that stop the body from absorbing protein.

Soy milk comes from China. People there have drunk it for many centuries, and it is used to make tofu, a soy “curd.” In Europe and America it became popular at the end of the 20th century. Among plant-based drinks, soy has the most protein: about 7 g per glass, almost as much as cow's milk (about 8 g). It has no cholesterol and no lactose. Soy milk from shops is usually fortified with calcium, and sometimes it has even more than cow's milk.

Soy milk suits vegans and people with lactose intolerance. It is also often suggested for an allergy to cow's milk protein. But you should know that 10–15% of children with this allergy also react to soy. So for babies, a substitute is chosen together with a doctor. The NHS counts unsweetened plant-based drinks with added calcium as a substitute for dairy in the diet.