Healthy Soy Milk Recipes

Since I was a little girl, I am really fond of eating taho. Tahô is a soybean-based snack food popular in the Philippines. It is made of fresh soft tofu topped with arnibal or brown sugar and vanilla syrup, and sago or pearl tapioca. It is really a delicious and healthy drink that I enjoy.

Recently, when we were grocery shopping, I saw this Edensoy milk with Carob. Since I like taho which is also soybean-based, I was intrigued to try and see how it would taste. I bought a liter of the carob flavored soy milk, chilled it and drank a glass. I have tasted plain soy milk before and it did not appeal to my taste. But this time, probably because it was flavored, I like how it tasted. It has a delicate flavor and not beany.

Since I plan to drink this soy milk regularly, I thought it would be more economical if I just make my own soy milk at home.

Soy Milk Health Benefits

Before I share with you how soy milk can be prepared at home, let's look at some of the health benefits of soy milk.

• In comparison to cow's milk, soy milk has reduced levels of cholesterol and saturated fats which helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Soy milk is lactose-free so people who are lactose intolerant can take advantage of the vegetable proteins it provides.
• Soy milk contains the prebiotic sugars stachyose and raffinose which boosts the immune system of the body and helps reduce toxic substances in the body.
• Soy milk is reported to be less allergenic. This means that a lesser number of children are allergic to soy milk compared to cow's milk.
• Soy milk is rich in isoflavones that contribute to the protection of the body against breast cancer, prostate cancer, menopausal symptoms, heart disease, and osteoporosis. However, some critics point out that isoflavones can also increase the incidence of epithelial hyperplasia and cause goiter and hyperthyroidism. So, people who are at risk of these conditions should avoid drinking soy milk.

The Disadvantage of Soy Milk

A disadvantage of soy milk, if used as a substitute for dairy milk, is its low calcium content. It only has one-fourth the amount of calcium that cow's milk has. To compensate for this lack of calcium, soy milk that is fortified with calcium is made available in the market. But for those who prefer to get calcium from natural sources, they can simply have food products like cheese and yogurt as a healthy source of calcium.

Another issue that some people may have against buying soy milk is the possibility that some soy milk products are not made from real soybeans but soy proteins and soy isolates. It is, therefore, important to check product labels carefully or better yet make your own soy milk at home.

How Do You Make Soy Milk at Home?

These days, soy milk can be prepared at home in two ways. The first method involves more steps because one has to soak the soybeans to make them soft; grind them using a blender; cook them, filter them through a cheesecloth and put them in bottles. This method may be more tedious but it is not that difficult to do. If you already have a blender at home, it is the more practical method to choose.

How To Make Soy Milk at Home - Conventional Method

The second method is done with the aid of the latest technology. A soy milk maker can be bought and used to easily and automatically make soy milk. The grinding, blending, the cooking, and the filtering are all done for you within this small kitchen gadget. There are some soy milk makers that can also be used to make almond milk, rice milk, and other vegetable-based beverages.

How to Make Soy Milk Using a Soy Milk Maker

Other Soy Milk Recipes

Aside from drinking soy milk, plain or flavored (with vanilla, chocolate -my favorite or carob - a healthier substitute for chocolate), there are many other ways in which we can incorporate soy milk in our food recipes.

For Smoothies

Basic smoothies recipes usually call for 3 main ingredients: chopped fruit like bananas, strawberries, mango and kiwi; a thickener like a yogurt, frozen fruit or fruit juice concentrate or ice cubes; and a liquid to make it blend smoothly like milk, fruit juice or water. In this case, soy milk will be used. There are no set measurements for each ingredient but a good rule of thumb is 1 part fruit, 2 parts thickener and 1 part liquid. You can always adjust the proportions according to your taste.

For Ice cream

As with making smoothies, just substitute soy milk for cow's milk when making your ice cream.