How to Avoid Soy Protein

For many vegetarians, vegans and those who want a high protein diet without consuming a lot of meat, soy products are an excellent source of complete protein. Unfortunately, everything has its downside. Some people are allergic to soy and others worry about a potential link between consuming high quantities of soy and sperm count. If you are trying to cut soy protein out of your diet, the first and most important thing to know is where to expect soy. Mostly it's clearly identifiable, but sometimes there's hidden soy, too.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify products that traditionally come from soy such as tofu, miso, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, tempeh and soy milk. Tofu has been a vegetarian source of protein for thousands of years in Asian cultures that have different names and terms for it, such as bean curd, tau kwa and tahu. In Chinese, soy milk is know as doujiang or dou-nai. Avoid products with these names. Edamame is popular as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants and is an increasingly common snack food.

• 2

  Examine meat-substitute products carefully. Vegetarian pepperoni, lunch meat, chicken, turkey, hot dogs and many frozen, vegetarian substitute hamburger patty products contain or are primarily soy protein. Dried imitation bacon bits for salads are also soy products. Always read labels carefully.

• 3

  Check both your dairy products and non-dairy substitute options carefully -- many contain soy. Soy cheese and yogurt have become widely available in supermarkets. Non-dairy creamers often contain soy protein. Be aware that many infant formulas are soy-based if you are trying to keep soy away from your baby. However, it's not just the dairy substitutes that contain soy protein. Many products in the dairy case that are formulated to sit on shelves for long time periods or which have a thick, smooth texture contain lecithin, a soy product. Look for lecithin, soy protein powder and soy starches among the ingredients listed in sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, margarine, butter substitutes, mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, yogurt beverages and even refrigerated fruit juices.

• 4

  Scan packaged and canned food product labels for hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural flavoring, vegetable broth, vegetable gum, and vegetable starch. Even though they don't specifically say soy, they often contain soy protein in them, as under U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, manufacturers can group soy with vegetables since it is a legume.

• 5

  Examine the labels on bread products, baked desserts and cereals looking for soy flour and soy starches. Many whole grain and health-oriented grain products use soy to increase protein value and improve flavor and consistency.

• 6

  Look closely at frozen desserts and candies. Many ice cream products use soy protein, including soy emulsifiers and lecithin. Chocolate bars and other products coated in or using chocolate that are formulated to sit on shelves for long periods may also contain soy.