Soy allergies are very common, although the level of sensitivity to the food varies. Some people might experience mild symptoms such as itching and tingling of the throat, while others have a risk of chest tightness, fainting and life-threatening anaphylaxis. According to Cleveland Clinic, soy allergies are more common in children under 5 years of age.
General Guidelines
When eating out, always ask about ingredients. If unsure, skip dishes that are likely to contain soy ingredients. For example, the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital's website points out that canned soups, nut candies, tamari sauce, breakfast or energy bars, cheese substitutes and frozen desserts can contain soy. People with a sensitivity to soy might also experience a reaction when eating other legumes, such as pinto beans, peanuts, carob and kidney beans. Make sure you can eat those foods safely before making them a regular part of your diet.
What to Eat
All dairy products are acceptable as long as they don't have added ingredients, since some of those ingredients might contain soy. Avoid any milk substitutes unless you can confirm on the label that they don't contain soy. Meats that haven't been processed are also soy-free. If they're served with sauces or gravy, check to make sure there's no soy in the ingredients' list. Fresh fruits and vegetables are all acceptable.
What to Avoid
Soy is a common item added to many products. If your goal is a diet that is completely soy-free, you will need to avoid anything that might contain soy. Coffee substitutes, certain fruit drink mixes and instant coffee can all have traces of soy mixed in. Many processed meats, including sausages, luncheon meats and hamburgers sometimes have soy added to increase volume. Soy flour is sometimes mixed with white flour to make baked goods, so it's important that you always read labels to rule that out. You can also find soy in many sauces, salad dressings, margarine substitutes and gravies.
Hidden Soy Ingredients
Read food labels and avoid anything with the word "soy" in it. This includes not only soy products, but also certain preservatives, flavorings or add-ons such as soy sauce, soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy protein, soy grits and soy flour. Aside from looking for the word soy in the list of ingredients, you should also look for soy derivatives that are used under other names. For example, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used to make faux meat products suitable for vegetarians, is usually made of soy. Vegetable broth might contain soy products, as do tempeh and vegetable starch.
