Soy Free Foods for Toddlers

The Mayo Clinic states that soy allergies are extremely common among children, with many babies developing the allergy in reaction to soy formula. While most children outgrow these allergies by the age of 3, parents might wonder what types of foods are safe options for allergic toddlers.

Types

• Toddler eating a banana.

  Toddlers following a soy-free diet should avoid eating soybeans, shoyu sauce, miso, soy sauce, tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy flour, soy nuts, and soy milk. Ingredients that might possibly indicate the presence of soy include hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural flavoring, vegetable broth, vegetable starch and vegetable gum.

Misconceptions

• According to Pediatric Allergist-Immunologist Dr. Michael Daines, allergic reactions occur primarily as a reaction to the soy protein. Since soy oil and soy lecithin are not part of the protein, most toddlers do not have reactions when consuming foods containing these ingredients.

Considerations

• You might consult your doctor as to the advisability of reintroducing some soy foods after the age of 3 to see whether your child has outgrown their soy allergy.

Prevention/Solution

• If your child develops any type of reaction to soy, it is important to contact their care provider even if you deem their reaction mild. By confirming a soy allergy, you can take steps to minimize their exposure and lessen the risk of further, more severe reactions.

Potential

• Since soy allergies continue to be quite common, some baby food manufacturers offer soy-free baby cereals and many natural foods stores offer an array of soy-free foods and snacks.