Why not get your daily glass of milk from soya?

Staff at the Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute (KIRDI) in Kisumu work in the Soy Milk processing plant. Soy milk is similar to cows’ milk in appearance and consistency, although with its own unique flavour. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • To obtain soy milk, wet milling of beans is done, which involves cooking, filtering and sterilisation.
  • The key benefits of soya are its high protein content, vitamins, minerals and insoluble fibre.
  • Farmers can take advantage of changing lifestyle trends, which have pushed up demand for soya, to manufacture high value products from it.
  • The texture of the soy bean is so adaptable that it is processed into a variety of foods.

As cow milk prices rise due to the dry spell, making it unaffordable, it is time consumers think of other sources of milk.

Soya beans offers a good alternative. Like other beans, soya grows in pods enclosing edible seeds. It is commonly green but can be yellow, brown or black.

The texture of the soy bean is so adaptable that it is processed into a variety of foods.

Milk, yoghurt, tofu, flour, oil and baked and weaning foods are some of the products one can make from soya beans, an alternative to meat.

Soy milk is similar to cows’ milk in appearance and consistency, although with its own unique flavour.

The key benefits of soya are its high protein content, vitamins, minerals and insoluble fibre.

Further, soybean has a wealth of health benefits, including the capacity to improve the metabolism, help people gain weight, protect the heart’s health, guard against cancer, reduce the effects of menopause, improve digestive health, promote bone health, protect against birth defects, increase blood circulation, reduce the risk of diabetes, and generally tone up the human body.

Farmers can take advantage of changing lifestyle trends, which have pushed up demand for soya, to manufacture high value products from it.

Soy milk is one of the products that can be obtained from the beans increasing farmers’ profits.

Making soy milk at home

To make the milk at home, start by obtaining dried beans of good quality from farmers, followed by sorting, cleaning and drying. Then clean, soak them overnight, drain and wash.

To obtain the soy milk, wet milling of beans is done, which involves cooking, filtering and sterilisation and finally packaging by hot filling into sterilised glass bottles.

Packaged soya milk should be kept in a cool place like inside a fridge. But once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within three days.

Soy milk is not commonly utilised in Kenya. However, the following recipes could be used to increase its consumption in every dishes.

Soy milk can be mixed with oatmeal during breakfast. After cooking oatmeal in water, add the milk to give it a nice creamy consistency.

Soy milk can also be used to make a vegan fat free corn bread, pancakes and muffins. This is by equal substitution of soy for regular milk on your muffin or pancake recipes.

Strawberry, orange and banana smoothies or milk shakes recipes can be incorporated into soy milk.

A splash of soy milk is perfect in coffee, tea or porridge with sugar. Unsweetened version can be used in savoury recipes such as soup or casseroles, sauces such as custard, chicken curry, brown rice pudding and mashed potatoes.

It can also be used to make ice cream and it is also the principal ingredient in tofu and protein bars.

Soya milk contains roughly the same level of protein as cows’ milk, but less fat about roughly a third if compared to whole cow’s milk. Since it contains no lactose, it’s a useful dairy replacement for the lactose intolerant.

Soy milk is a good source of energy, protein, sugar, dietary fibre and fat. Amongst other minerals, it contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

Various vitamins such as folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamins B6, B-12, D, E and K. It also contains saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. All these nutrients help in preserving good health.

The writer is based at the Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology, Egerton University.