🫘Soy allergy
Soy allergy is most common in babies and young children, and many of them grow out of it. Until then — or for life, if it stays — it is managed by avoiding soy, which is harder than it sounds because soy is used in a lot of processed food.
🔬What it means
The immune system mistakes soy proteins for a threat and releases chemicals such as histamine. Most reactions are mild to moderate, but severe reactions are possible.
Soy is a legume, like peanuts, peas and beans, but being allergic to soy does not mean you are allergic to other legumes. Babies with a cows' milk allergy sometimes react to soy as well, so do not switch to a soy formula without your doctor's advice. An allergist can test what is safe and check from time to time whether the allergy has gone.
✅What you can eat
Everything that does not contain soy. Plain meat, fish, eggs, dairy, grains, fruit and vegetables are naturally soy-free. Highly refined soy oil and soy lecithin are tolerated by many people with a soy allergy, because they contain little or no soy protein — but use them only if your doctor says it is safe for you.
🚫What to avoid
- 🫘Soy in any form: soybeans, edamame, tofu, tempeh, natto, soy milk and yogurt, soy flour, soy protein, textured vegetable protein (TVP).
- 🍶Soy sauces and pastes: soy sauce, tamari, teriyaki, miso, hoisin, black bean sauce, many marinades and dressings.
- 🍜Dishes where soy is usual: miso soup, stir-fries, sushi with soy sauce, mapo tofu, ramen broths, edamame starters, vegan and vegetarian “meat” and “cheese”.
- 🥫Processed food: bread and baked goods, sausages and burgers, ready meals, stock cubes, chocolate, cereal and protein bars, infant formulas based on soy. Cold-pressed soy oil can contain soy protein — avoid it.
- 🏷️Labels: in the EU and UK soy must be highlighted in the ingredients, including soy lecithin (E322 can also come from sunflower or egg). Fully refined soy oil does not have to be highlighted — check the oil type.
⚠️What happens during a reaction
Symptoms usually start within minutes to two hours: itchy mouth, hives, eczema flare, redness, swelling of the lips or face, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, sneezing or a runny nose.
Severe reactions are less common than with peanuts, but possible. Anaphylaxis affects breathing or circulation: swelling of the tongue or throat, hoarse voice, wheezing, difficulty breathing, feeling faint, pale or floppy skin, collapse. In babies and young children, look out for sudden floppiness or unusual sleepiness.
Children often outgrow soy allergy, but do not reintroduce soy at home without your doctor's advice.
🚑When to get help urgently
If there are any signs of a severe reaction, use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one and call emergency services immediately, even if symptoms improve. Lie down with legs raised (or sit up if it is hard to breathe) and do not stand up or walk suddenly. After any reaction, see a doctor about an allergy plan.
📱How Me Nutrition helps
Every dish in the app and on this site shows the major allergens of a typical recipe, including soy, and which ingredient contains it. Recipes differ and traces are not covered, so always check with whoever cooked the dish.
Dishes that contain it: 264
Sources
Written from the sources below; not reviewed by a doctor. Not medical advice. How we count →