Soy milk is one of the most popular plant-based milcs on the market today. The taste varies depending on the brand, some with a beany flavour and others creamy with just a beany aftertaste.

Soy milk is made by soaking, grinding, boiling and filtering soybeans. Some companies will add preservatives along with other vitamins and minerals to fortify their milcs.

Like coconut milk, soy is one of the most controversial of all alternative milcs. There are conflicting and inconclusive studies on the impact of soy on hormones. Moreover, as most soy produced in the United States is genetically modified, some people choose to avoid consuming it. Again, the science around genetic modification is inconclusive but is regulated by the FDA who test the safety of food products. It should go without saying, but avoid soy milk if you have an allergy to it.

Despite this, the overwhelming majority of studies find that soy milc is the most healthful of the plant-based milcs. It’s a good source of potassium and is often fortified with calcium and vitamins A, D and B12. It’s high in protein, low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol. Also, studies show that the flavonoids in soy have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Soy has a bad reputation for its destruction of rainforests, particularly the Amazon. However, around 70% of soy is fed to livestock and just 6% is consumed directly by humans. As you can see below, this makes soy milc’s land-use footprint minimal, even slightly below oat milk!

Of the plant-based milcs surveyed, soy is the most water-efficient too.