10 foods you didn't know had soy

Did you know that soy is in a lot of bread, cereal, and meat products?  Yeah, neither did we before we began our restricted, Porph-friendly diet.  And, at about 4 months in, we have finally eliminated almost all soy from our diets.  We did this by being super strict when food shopping and now everything we buy is soy-free.  (We are a little less concerned when eating out, but we figure this is more than balanced by our uber-strictness at home.)  This has been incredibly difficult because soy is in everything.  Obvious, soy-containing foods like tofu, edamame, soy sauce (Duh!), and soy-based meat products were easy to cut out.  However, there are a lot of less obvious and even surprising foods that contain soy; it is most commonly in the form of soy lecithin and soybean oil, but it can also be found as soy flour and soy protein.  

Here's a list of 10 foods you probably didn't know had soy:

1. Prepared baking mixes like cake and brownie mixes

My favorite boxed mix.

2. Crackers and cookies: most commercially available brands.

3. Breads: most commercially available brands

I love their 100% Whole Wheat.

4. Breakfast cereals, especially high-protein varieties like Kashi

I can't eat any of their stuff anyway, due to a buckwheat allergy.

5. Multi grain products like crackers, cookies, and pastas.

6. Flour tortillas

Fat free versions can be OK.

7. Frozen prepared meals

7 different mentions of soy ingredients!

8. Seasoning mixes

9. Peanut butter

10. Chocolate

Even the fancy Valrhona has soy. :(

Of course, soy is in lots more foods than those mentioned above.  What surprising foods have you found that contain soy?

I had originally intended on providing some alternative choices for each category, but it all came down to checking out an alternative, more natural product and/or make your own.  Thankfully, I've been noticing that there are more and more soy-free alternatives at my regular grocery store, especially since my last snacks review.  I have had the hardest time with bread products and chocolate (for which I don't think there are any soy-free versions).  As far as making your own food, I find that it is incredibly satisfying eating a meal or treat that I made myself, even more so if I've put a lot of work into making it.

And, yes, you can make your own Oreos.