Soy Free Vegan: To Soy or Not to Soy

If you've ever read my blog profile, you may already be aware that I do not eat soy... or rather I should say that I do not eat large quantities of soy, meaning I will occasionally season with tamari and my addiction to chocolate bars leaves me sometimes consuming lecithin. Yes, I know the later is not entirely healthy, but I eat dark chocolate so it's loaded with anti-oxidants!

The reasons people do or don't eat soy are varied and there is the ongoing debate as to whether it is healthy or harmful. There is a great article posted by Huffington Post just this week offering both sides of the debate.

I believe that small quantities of the right kind of soy can be good for you as long as it doesn't disagree with your digestive system, and I do prepare it for my clients on occasion. When I prepare soy products, I opt for fermented varieites like miso, tempeh, and tamari. I rarely use tofu, and when I do, I make sure it is organic, non-gmo and preferably sprouted.

For me, not eating soy has nothing to do with the ongoing debate of whether it is healthy or not; it's about my personal digestive health. While it may not be the direct cause, I seem to have fewer digestive issues since I eliminated high quantities of soy. At some point, I may re-introduce to see how my body reacts to it, but for now, I know that I feel good so I'm not ready for the risk.

I have been trying to find alternatives to live a soy free life, and give up my few exceptions. I recently discovered that the Santa Monica Co-op  and my local Whole Foods do carry Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos. Coconut Aminos is a raw, naturally fermented seasoning sauce that contains high levels of good quality, healthy amino acids, the "building blocks of prtoein." While not quite as strong in flavor as the tamari that I am used to, it does satisfy a bit of that umami** flavor that I look for when making Asian style sauces or just wanting something with a little more depth of flavor than sea salt provides. Fortunately, when it comes to chocolate bars, two of my favorite brands Alter Eco and Theo do offer soy free, vegan bars. Plus, they are certified as organic and Fair Trade companies, so I've been attempting to stick more exclusively to those brands.  Also, as you may have seen from my soy free vegan quiche post a couple weeks ago, that I continue to work on developing new recipes to replace some of the soy filled dishes I used to enjoy.

For the most part, I follow a whole, natural foods, plant-based diet.  My refrigerator and pantry are not filled with processed or pre-packaged products (aside from my chocolate addiction and my obsession with Mary's Gone Crackers - I really need a dehydrator to make seed crackers at home!) and I don't worry too often about label reading or  seeking out soy-free convenience products. Of course, sometimes it is not possible to make everything from scratch, so it's good to know that there are quality soy-free convenience products available. Michele over at Soy Free Vegan has a good list of ingredients to look out for when label reading and highlights some of her favorite products.

Ultimately, the choice of "to soy or not to soy" is up to you, your body, and your beliefs, as well as which research you decide to support. Again, I think there is a place for soy if you eat it in small quantities and choose good quality products. I'm not going to lie... I do miss tempeh every now and then!


**Umami is considered to be the fifth taste, along with bitter, salty, sweet and sour. It is a Japanese term meaning "pleasant savory taste".