Dairy Allergy & Soy Allergy

Dairy Allergy

Dairy can be a major source of calcium, vitamin D and protein in the diet. Milk protein can easily be made up for with other sources of protein in the diet such as poultry, fish, red meat and beans.

It is very important to find a substitute for milk, however, because both calcium deficiency and vitamin D deficiency can have severe consequences on bones and teeth.

Soy Allergy

Soy can be a major source of protein in the diet. Luckily, it can easily be made up for with other foods with protein.

Nutrition Facts:

Sources of protein:

• Eggs
• Poultry
• Fish
• Red meat such as beef or lamb
• Beans

Below are some foods with calcium as well as foods with vitamin D that you can work into your day to keep your a balanced diet.

Foods High in Calcium

• Calcium-fortified almond, hemp, oat or rice milk
• Calcium-fortified orange juice
• Canned salmon or sardines
• Almonds
• Kale
• Spinach
• Beet greens
• Turnip greens
• Oranges
• Broccoli
• Bok choy
• Mustard greens
• Sweet potato
• White beans

Sources of Vitamin D

• Eggs
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Vitamin D fortified orange juice
• Vitamin D almond hemp, oat or rice milk

Soy Lecithin

When reading food labels, soy lecithin is often listed as an ingredient in packaged foods. The good news is that soy lecithin does not contain detectable soy protein. Therefore, it often can be included in the diet of a person with soy allergy. However, there is a low percentage of people that do have a true soy lecithin allergy. Please check with your allergist regarding the safety of soy lecithin in your diet.

Soybean Oil:

When reading nutrition labels, you may see soybean oil listed as an ingredient in packaged foods. If it is pure soybean oil, it is not considered to be allergenic unless it is contaminated by soy protein as it is manufactured. However, cold-pressed, pure-pressed, expeller-pressed or unrefined soybean oils are very likely to contain soy proteins. Once again, it is advised that you check with your allergist regarding your degree of soy allergy and what should be avoided.

Reading Food Labels

Milk and soy fall under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act and must be clearly stated on nutrition labels of any packaged foods in the U.S. It will either be displayed next to the allergen ingredient such as “whey (milk) or soy” or underneath the ingredient list such as “contains milk or soy”.