Is it Possible to be a Soy-Allergic Vegan?

I've been reading about the meat industry recently, and have become disgusted with factory-produced meat. I have since switched to only eating meat/eggs/dairy from humane producers - i.e. small farmers or those "certified humane" by hsus/aspca.

But sometimes I feel this isn't enough. The problem is that I was a vegan once before for about 3 months, but I developed a serious allergy to soy (which I ate all the time). When I tried to cut soy out of my vegan diet, I found that my food options essentially dried up. [I don't have time to cook so have to rely on restaurants and/or prepackaged foods, damn near all of which contain soy (the vegetarian ones at least).] So I started eating meat again. This was about one year ago.

I am considering trying to go vegan one more time, but wanted to solicit advice beforehand. Is this even going to be a feasible option? All the vegetarians/vegans I know eat tons of soy products! Is it possible to be a (happy and HEALTHY!) vegan without eating any soy? Or should I just stick with my "humanely-raised" meat/dairy and not feel bad about myself for doing the best I can? Any thoughts/advice?

Btw - I love the taste of meat and really enjoy eating it. It's not that I'm squeamish, it's just that I can't stand the way these animals live their lives on modern farms.

Thanks!

-UB

 

It's very possible to be a Vegan without eating soy, but it is going to be somewhat more inconvenient. I even know a few people who are allergic to soy AND wheat and still manage.

It's really easy to eat out at restaurants without getting soy. Pasta with veggies, veggie sandwiches, baked potato with veggies, Vegan pizza, nearly everything at Taco Bell (sub beans for meat and sub fresco for cheese and sour cream), etc. etc.

Vegetarian convenience foods are a little more challenging. Tasty Bite makes some shelf stable Indian meals without animal products or soy, Amy's makes Lentil soup, Fantastic Foods makes quite a few soups that are soy free and Vegan. You can use rice milk instead of soy milk with your morning cereal, and Rice Dream makes kick-ass rice cream sandwiches. There are probably a few convenience foods that use seitan (wheat protein) instead of soy.

My suggestion is to make the time to cook. If you get a vacuum sealer like a Food Saver, you can cook many meals at once and then individually package and freeze them to eat during the rest of the week. I work 12 hour shifts at night, and that works really well for me.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks mrsshf!


I had no idea vegans could eat taco bell -- but what is fresco? I've never heard of it...

And will this be healthy? Aren't there some important varieties of protein or somthing that are only found in meat and soy? That is what I heard. Clearly I need to get more information, I think.

I'll try to find some rice cream sandwiches -- that would be great right about now!

 

That sounds like omni folklore to me. Alot of flesh eating types believe that meat has some kind of wondernutrient in it that no human could possibly live without, and although few of them can guess at what that mystery element is, many will preach as fact that it exists. I guess that soy is pushing its way into their minds now too.

One thing I can think of that truly is different is the type of iron that is found in meat vs. the type found in veggies. The veggie variety is more difficult to absorb but if you eat something with vitamin C at the same time, it helps alot. Red bell peppers are the best source of vitamin C (you don't need more than 1/2 a day), but all red or orange fruits and veggies are usually a good source.

The other thing is B12, which basically comes from dirt, which is washed off all of our veggies and doesn't work well in many recipes. You can take a supplement for that or consume fortified foods like commercial soy milks.

If you still eat dairy and eggs then none of this is relevant to you.

At least that's what I've read.

 

Soy is bad news.Try to avoid it.I have as yet to find any bread in the shops that is soy free.Food manufacturers seem to be obsesed with adding it to their product.I don't care if it is GM soy or non GM soy , the only thing it is good for is soy sauce that is fermented and as a green manure crop.

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/soydangers.html

 

All that anti-soy hype is complete BS. By the way, real credible source you linked there. *rolls eyes*

 

im only a vegetarian so i cant really help you, however my diet doesnt rely on soy what so ever. I would say i have soy products maybe once a week.

 

Tell me more.I have always found Sally Fallon and Mary Enig to be credible.Maybe you should get hold of the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.