As the heat turns up I frequently crave a nice iced mocha. To save money and calories and to make sure of the quality of the drink, I frequently make my own. Here’s how I do it:

1/2 c. non-dairy milk

1/2 c. strong coffee

1 T or more dark cocoa

1 – 2 T sugar of your choice

Blend well and pour over ice.

Variations: Use espresso instead of strong coffee and add more milk to adjust the amount. Similarly, use instant coffee, about one Tablespoon (or to taste), adjusting milk amount.  Infinitely variable, really.

It’s one of those things that has spread on the Internet and unbelievably, has become accepted truth to many people: that soy is unhealthy, even dangerous.

I mention (to otherwise smart and informed people) that I drink soymilk sometimes, and a look of pity comes over their faces. ‘This guy doesn’t know the dangers of soy, and might get cancer, or worse … man boobs,’ they’re thinking.

Just about every fitness expert I read — people I respect and trust — says that soy is bad for you, from Tim Ferriss to the primal/paleo folk. I absolutely respect most of these guys and otherwise think their work on fitness-related matters is great. And yet, when I look for their sources on soy, often they don’t exist, and when they do, I can always trace them back to one place.

The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Seriously. I’ve never seen anyone cite a single peer-reviewed study that shows that soy is unhealthy. The only sources are the Weston A. Price Foundation, or other articles that use the Weston A. Price Foundation as a source (read more).

Here’s the thing: the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) have been on a vendetta against soy (and on a campaign for meat and raw milk) for a couple decades now, and they have no solid evidence to back up their vendetta. They have lots of quasi-scientific evidence, lots of reasonable-sounding arguments, but if you look for solid proof, you won’t find any.

Continue reading this informative article here >>
And for more info, check out Soy: What’s the Harm?

While the article does some good by showcasing the variety of milks availble and by making soy, almond, and rice milks nearly as well-known as cow’s milk, the article missed the mark a bit by stretching the truth and omitting some facts.

First, what they did well: They started with a photo of soy milk and proclaimed some of its virtues. Then they tackled almond milk:

“Almond Milk: pour it if… You’re looking for a low-calorie way to get calcium and vitamin D into your diet. The fortified kind is also a good source of healthy fats.”

It’s true that almond milk tends to be low calorie. Although, I’m pretty sure that most people who choose almond milk do so for the flavor. It’s a sweet nutty flavor that makes a great ice cream base.

Glamour got another part right: they did not recommend full fat cow’s milk for adults. They suggest skim milk or 1%. If you’re going to drink it (despite the cruelty involved) then do yourself a favor and skip the fat. Cow’s milk fat is the worst kind of fat and won’t help your heart in any way.

But that’s about all they got right. Take a look at how Glamour got it wrong: Glamour says, “Soy milk lacks the calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12 of dairy, so choose one that’s fortified—or take a multivitamin for insurance”. But here are a couple things they forgot to mention:

1. The vitamin D in cow’s milk has been added, too. Commercial cow’s milk from the grocery store has been fortified just like most commercial soy milks. Raw cow’s milk doesn’t have any vitamin D.
2. Lots of other foods have calcium: some dark leafy greens and legumes.

And Glamour made claims about soy milk and breast cancer as well as thyroid issues. Learn more about the safety of soy here: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soy_harm

Glamour wrote, that you should skip cow’s milk if “You’re lactose intolerant or have a dairy allergy” but they neglected to mention that the majority of humans on this planet are lactose intolerant! And they didn’t even mention the ethical or environmental reasons to ditch cow’s milk.

What else did Glamour get wrong? Well Glamour didn’t mention coconut milk, hemp milk, or grain milk.

Lastly, the article over-emphasized cow’s milk high protein content but neglected to mention how that’s not necessarily a good thing. Americans tend to consume too much protein as it is, which can damage your kidneys. Moreover, nutrition experts say that the high protein content of cow’s milk make it more difficult to absorb calcium. Harvard School of Public Health tackles this issue in depth. Check it out here >>

You can learn more about vegan protein sources here: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

For reasons both good and bad, lots of people these days are avoiding all soy products. Can those people go vegan? Is it possible to be both soy-free and vegan?

The answer is yes. The UK Vegan Society even lists soy-free foods on their website (see here). Here are some options for soy-free vegan foods:

1. For protein and iron, consider other legumes. Instead of soy beans (and the products made from them: tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc), enjoy bean and rice burritos, split pea soup, hummus sandwiches, falafels, 3-bean salads, lentil burgers, and more. Beans are cheap and widely available. Just find a few bean recipes you like and enjoy!

2. Another option for protein are nuts and seeds. Maybe a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich suits you? Or perhaps a bowl of chocolate almond ice cream? Cashews, brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds along with some raisons or chocolate chips can make for a tasty protein-rich trail mix. Quinoa is a seed that’s also a “complete protein” like soy. Cook it up like rice or oatmeal and enjoy at any time of day.

3. For milky, creamy things, people who eat soy will use soy milk or tofu. But if you’re soy-free or just want to eat less soy, then you can use these alternatives: almonds, cashews, white beans, coconuts. For example, instead of soy milk, try almond milk. Instead of soy ice cream, try coconut milk ice cream. Instead of soy cheese, try cashew cheese. Instead of soy milk for soups and creamy foods, try pureed white beans. There are lots of options. Just explore vegan cookbooks, vegan blogs, and the grocery store. Many grocery stores now carry almond milk, for example.

4. For meaty texture, you have options: seitan, mushrooms, eggplants. So for all those foods like chili, burgers, gumbo, etc., try chewy vegetables like mushrooms or eggplants. And experiment! Find foods you like that don’t contain soy and that don’t cause unecessary suffering.

No matter what kind of vegan diet you choose, it’s wise to learn about vegan nutrition. Here are some resources for detailed info on vegan nutrition:

• http://www.theveganrd.com/food-guide-for-vegans
  
• http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6374
• http://veganhealth.org/

And remember, while a dietary change towards veganism is generally helpful in preventing or reversing some diseases (like diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers), dietary changes should be done in association with medical supervision. Moreover, if you choose a soy-free diet because you are sensitive to soy, you might also be sensitive to other foods, like peanuts. So it’s wise to investigate that possibility with an allergist and an elimination diet.

Europe’s first vegetarian butcher’s shop opened in The Hague in October, serving various meat-replacement products made from lupin seeds.

De Vegetarische Slager – the Vegetarian Butcher – is the brainchild of eighth-generation lupin farmer Jaap Korteweg, who hopes to restore the protein-rich food to dinner plates in Europe, offering a sustainable alternative to meat while also reducing the environmental impact of rampant soy farming in South America. [...]

“Supermarkets and healthfood stores offer a growing variety of meat substitutes aimed at vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians, and everyone else who has decided to eat less meat,” said Koffeman. “Our dream was a store dedicated to meat substitutes in the same way a butcher is dedicated to meat.”

The whole article is online here:
http://www.supportmfm.org/news/europes-first-vegetarian-butcher-opens-for-business-in-the-netherlands.cfm

“Tofu versus seitan. Both tofu and seitan are excellent sources of vegetarian protein. Tofu is made from soybeans. Seitan is made from wheat gluten. Both are easy to find in grocery stores. Tofu is the traditional vegetarian protein. But options like seitan and tempeh are becoming more mainstream-for very good reasons.”

Unless you have an allergy to soy or wheat, both of these high-protein plant foods are good alternatives to meat. But which is right for you?
Read this article to find out >>

For other meat alternatives, check out this website >>

“For a diet rich in whole grain and variety, try adding quinoa to your menu. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is often referred to as the mother of all grains since it sustained the people of the Andes Mountains for more than 5,000 years.

Quinoa is a complete protein supplying all eight of the essential amino acids and is a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorous and many phytochemicals.

Quinoa can help with heart disease, diabetes and cancer prevention. It has a mild, nutty flavor, a fluffy texture similar to couscous and it can be used in place of rice, pasta or other grains. Serve quinoa for breakfast in place of hot cereal, as a salad or a side dish. One cup provides five grams of fiber and contains over 200 calories.”

Remember, quinoa is a “complete protein” and it offers all eight of the essential amino acids. Soybeans, amaranth, buckwheat, hempseed, and spirulina are also “complete protein” foods that are vegan.

Real home-made soymilk!

I’m not a big user of soy milk. I don’t put it in my coffee or tea, I don’t put it in my cereal, I don’t drink it. I mainly use it when I am cooking, and not all that often. So I especially don’t enjoy paying high prices for quarts of soy milk when I end up throwing out a bunch of it.

Whether you are a big user of soy milk or not, though, making your own makes a ton of sense. For pennies per cup and not a whole lot of effort you can make the best stuff you’ve tasted!

I made my first batch the other day, using directions posted on Kiss My Spatula.  The blog is written by Giao, who describes her food as “simple, seasonal, local and organic whenever possible”. She prefers to create home made basics because that’s the only way to know exactly what is going in there.

Giao’s recipe calls for 1/2 c. dried soybeans, 1/8 c. of sugar, 1/8 tsp. of salt, and water. Read her directions and look at the pictures. One of the last steps calls for straining the mixture through cheesecloth. I didn’t have any cheesecloth around so I used my permanent coffee filter, one of those gold ones, and it worked very well.

Giao says her soymilk can be kept in the refrigerator for three days. I wondered if it could be frozen, but my searches online offered conflicting answers. It’s probably best to make it fresh as needed.

It continues to amaze me how easily marketers pervert basic science. For example, CattleNetwork claims:

“Bottom line: Instead of banning factory farms and the efficiencies those large-scale operations bring to the world’s dinner table, we need to find ways to become even more efficient in order to adequately feed our planet’s growing population.”

Trouble is, meat is inherently inefficient.

Growing corn and soy and feeding that to animals and then eating those animals is wasteful.

A less wasteful alternative is to eat the corn and soy directly, rather than filter the protein and other nutrients through the flesh of sentient beings.

Related resources to learn more:

• Wikipedia article on Trophic Levels
• Wikipedia article on Meat Production’s Environmental Effects

Plus, an old post from the archives.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get fresh updates in your email >>

Enjoy!

For the Nonvegans:

Vegan Recipes (from the HSUS):

• Grilled Polenta
• Magnificent Mixed Beans and Bulgur
• Moroccan Chickpea Patties
• Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Tofu
• Seitan “Jerk” Style
• Soy-Mirin Tofu over Rice with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
• Get more recipes at the Vegan Soapbox recipe search >>

Why & How Vegan – World Vegan Day:

News & More:

Clothing and Medicine:

Dairy & Veal:

Environment:

Health:

Animal Companions:

Blast from the past:

• Impacting Their Bottom Line – practical animal advocacy includes some “welfarism.”