soy milk

Whether you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or just prefer the taste, soy milk is one of the closest-tasting alternatives to dairy milk you can buy. So many companies make soy milk now that it's hard to decide which one to place in your grocery cart. Check out the chart below so you can choose the soy milk that's right for you.

Keep reading to find out the nutritional info for Edensoy, Silk, and other brands of soy milk.

Soy is one of the most versatile ingredients; it can be eaten whole or ground, fermented, and formed into various ingredients for nutritious and healthy cooking. Not only that, but it's also high in protein and fiber and contains less fat than its animal counterparts, so it's a no-brainer for people who want to eat less meat. Want to know how different forms of soy compare in both taste and nutrition? Read on for four forms of soy and how they work in your diet!

• Edamame: Edamame are baby soy beans that are harvested when ripe and sold either frozen, cooked, or shelled. The nutty-flavored beans are great for snacking or in anything from stir fries to soups. A 1/2 cup of edamame has 95 calories, 4 grams of fat, 8.5 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. Try shelled edamame in a super easy side like this brown rice and edamame dish.
• Soy milk: Soy milk is the liquid extracted from ground cooked soybeans. It also has a mild nutty flavor but can be sweetened with other flavors like vanilla as well as made into other dairy-like products like soy yogurt. A cup of plain soy milk has 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber. Substitute soy milk for regular milk in anything from cereal to smoothies to pancakes (like these vegan pineapple pancakes with citrus cream).
• Tofu: Tofu is made by curdling soy milk with a coagulant to form thick white blocks. There are four types of tofu to use in various dishes: silken, soft, firm, and extra firm. Since tofu has little flavor, it works with many different kinds of dishes (it'll just take on the flavor of your ingredients). A 1/2 cup of tofu has 97 calories, 5.3 grams of fat, 10.1 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of fiber. Firm and extra firm tofus are great in stir fries, or even healthier baked, like in this spicy mango veggie rice bowl.
• Tempeh: This form of soy is made by fermenting cooked soybeans with a mold. It is sold in dry, brown blocks and has a firm and chewy texture. A 1/2 cup of tempeh has 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 15.4 grams of protein, and 3.5 grams of fiber. Many people think tempeh makes the perfect meat substitute, so try it out instead of bacon in a TLT — tempeh, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

Source: Flickr User adactio

I'm not a full-fledged vegan by any means, but I'm up for trying a delicious animal-free meal every now and then. But even when going vegan on occasion, I can see how careful you must be when planning what to eat, including thinking carefully about nutrition.

Of course, since vegetables are the stars in a vegan diet, there's no lack of options that are chock-full of vitamins — except for ones only found in animal products, like vitamin B12. And while vitamin B12 deficiency is rare, the nutrient is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system as well as healthy blood cells, so it's important to get enough in your diet. Most women need 2.4 mcg of the vitamin a day (a little more if you are pregnant or breasfeeding).

Since the best sources of B12 come from meat, fish, eggs, and chicken, long-time vegans may need to look to other sources to make sure their levels of B12 stay filled. Besides taking a vitamin supplement, which vegan-friendly foods are high in B12? Find out after the break.

Regular cow's milk was the only kind of milk you'd find in my fridge when I was a kid, but as I grew older (and discovered lactose wasn't my best friend), I switched over to nondairy alternatives like soy and rice milk. Now they have so many different milk variations (one of the reasons the Dairy Federation wants to restrict use of the word "milk"), so how do you know which is the most nutritious choice for you? Check out the chart below.

To see how these compare to rice, almond, hemp, and oat milk, read more

When you buy a carton of soy milk, you never know what you're going to get. With so many different brands and flavors, they all seem to taste different. Aside from your taste buds, your body will also notice a difference, because they all vary greatly when it comes to nutrition too, especially in the protein and calcium categories. I thought it'd be helpful to compare a few popular brands to see which type best suits your needs.

For other brands and flavors keep reading.