Can I give my Baby Soy? There are many myths floating around about soy, so we decided to bust them all in this one post!

One common food you’ll find in most vegetarian and vegan households in India is soy, especially in the form of soy chunks or granules! These are used to substitute meat in many popular dishes, and they work really well!

Soy isn’t just popular in India – in fact, it’s eaten all over the world, and is an integral part of many Southeast Asian cuisines. However, there are many myths regarding the consumption of soy, especially when it comes to children.

Soy is a legume native to the East Asian region, and is a common ingredient in the traditional cuisines of China, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. From these regions, it spread to other parts of the world and is today the world’s most grown legume.

The Dutch East India Company brought soy from Japan to India in the 1600s, and in the 1700s, East India Company sailors took the soybean to North America. Yes, soy has quite a fascinating history!

What makes soy so versatile is its high heat stability. This means that soy can be cooked at high temperatures and still retain its nutrients, which are a lot!

Health Benefits of Soy

• Dry soybeans are composed of 36% of protein
• The protein in soy is considered a complete protein, with all the essential amino acids
• Soy is rich in fiber, which promotes better digestion and gut health
• Soy is also an excellent source of iron, zinc and magnesium, which are crucial for brain development, immune function and bone development
• It contains a large number of flavonoids with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits
• Soy is a source of healthy plant fats making it great for heart health
• A diet rich in soy is also associated with a lowered risk for certain cancers

Can I give my Baby Soy?

The beauty of soy is that it is available in multiple forms. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Edamame – Young soybeans still in the pod
• Soy milk – A liquid extracted from boiling and filtering soaked and ground soybeans
• Soy yogurt – Yogurt made by fermenting soy milk with probiotic cultures
• Tofu – Made by adding a coagulant to soy milk, such as calcium sulfate
• Tempeh – A block or cake created by fermenting cooked dried soybeans with a starter
• Soy flour – Fine powder made by grinding roasted soy beans
• Soy chunks – Bite-sized chunks made from defatted soya flour

With so many different forms of soy products on the market, it can be confusing for a parent to decide which one is suitable for their child. And most importantly, they wonder, “Can I give my baby soy?”

Can I give my baby soy milk?

In a single word – yes. Soy milk formula has been fed to babies for hundreds of years with no long-term health issues, making it a safe option for infants.

That said, most experts and health organizations don’t think there is any nutritional benefit to choosing soy milk over cow’s milk for babies, since they’ve both got similar nutritional profiles. However, soy milk is the best option for babies under the following circumstances:

• The family is vegan and prefers to avoid animal products, including milk
• The child has galactosemia or hereditary lactase deficiency which prevents the body from breaking down the sugars in cow’s milk

Soy milk is not recommended for babies in the following cases:

• You have a family history of food allergies, which increases your baby’s risk
• Your baby has an intolerance or allergy to the protein in cow’s milk
• Your baby was born premature, since the high aluminum in soy formula can affect development
• Your baby suffers from reduced renal function

Once you’ve established that it’s safe to feed your baby soy milk, you can start offering it after 6 months of age. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, so it’s best to wait till then to introduce soy milk.

Can I give my baby soy foods?

Most soy foods can be introduced at the same time as soy milk, i.e., around 6 months of age, as part of complementary feeding.

Tofu is a great first food for babies, especially since it can be mashed and pureed initially, and later offered as finger foods.

Edamame on its own can be a choking hazard owing to the smooth, round shape of the beans. However, cooking and mashing the beans makes it suitable for young babies.

Soy chunks can be introduced after the age of nine months, since it is a more processed form of soy, and may be difficult for younger babies to digest.

While soy is a good source of iron, it is a non-heme source, which means it is not as easily absorbed by the body as a heme source. To boost the absorption of the iron in soy, pair it with a food high in Vitamin C, like citrus fruits, peppers or broccoli.

Allergy Risk for Soy

Soy is considered a top allergen, which is why it is recommended to introduce soy as early as you can. This is because the earlier you introduce soy, the easier it is to prevent a soy allergy in the future.

Soy allergy occurs most commonly in infants, and as children get older, they generally outgrow the allergy. Studies find that 25% of children outgrow soy allergies by age 4, while 69% outgrow it by age 10.

These are the most common symptoms of a soy allergy:

• Wheezing
• Runny nose
• Rash
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

If you notice your child exhibiting any of these symptoms after eating a soy food, remove it from their diet and wait to see if the symptoms go away to confirm if it is indeed a soy allergy. If the symptoms are severe, take your child to the ER right away.

Myths about Soy

There is a lot of misinformation floating around about soy, which is why parents hesitate to feed it to their kids. Let’s bust the most common ones today.

Soy and Estrogen

This is probably the most common myth about soy – that it boosts sexual maturity in children.

The reason behind this myth is the presence of isoflavones in soy – a plant compound similar to estrogen. Some animal studies in the past found abnormalities in animals that were exposed to soy isoflavones, which is what triggered the whole scare.

However, humans and animals metabolize soy isoflavones differently. Also, these molecules are far too small to mimic the effects of estrogen, which is a much more potent hormone. To date, there have been no major studies or reports that consuming soy can mess with a child’s sexual development.

Soy and Phytates

Soy contains phytates, which are also known as ‘anti-nutrients’. The fear is that these phytates prevent the body from absorbing nutrients in food, leading to deficiencies. However, there are no studies confirming such claims, which means soy is a perfectly safe food to include in your diet.

Tips to Buy Soy Products

When buying soy milk or soy milk products for your little one, look for ones that have as little added sugar and salt as possible. Avoid ones with artificial flavors and thickeners and opt for ones fortified with extra calcium. This is particularly important if your child is not consuming any dairy.

Soy is becoming increasingly popular, and as a result, several highly processed soy products have appeared on the market. As with everything else, the less processed something is, the better it is for you since it retains most of the original minerals and nutrients. When it comes to soy, avoid things like soy sauce, sweetened milks and yogurts, energy bars, oils and protein concentrates.

Even soy chunks, which we commonly find everywhere, are a type of processed soy, also known as textured vegetable protein (TVP). It’s best to use these occasionally, rather than make them a regular part of your child’s diet.

Healthy Soy Recipes for Babies and Kids

• Soya Wheat Porridge Powder
• Soya Poha Porridge Powder
• Instant Soya Rice Porridge Powder
• Scrambled Tofu Burji
• Soya Vegetable Rice
• Crunchy Vegan Soya Chana Dal Cutlets
• Garlic Soya Noodles
• Whole Wheat Tofu Stuffed Paratha
• Tofu and Cashew Mayonnaise