That is the question, and has been the question for over a decade amongst many in the Nutirion world. It of course is not only a go-to for non-meat eaters, but is found in many processed foods and hidden in places you wouldn’t expect. Think everytime you see the phrases: soy protein, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate or textured vegetable protein listed in the ingredients. For the most part, the jury is still out on whether consumption of soy products, like Tofu, are harmful to the health. Some of the opponents to soy products argue that soy raises estrogen levels in humans, which is particularly concerning in men as reports of breast development, sex drive decline, and hair growth slowing has been reported. As for women, the argument follows reasoning being fertility issues, thyroid issues, and infant abnormalities. Again, the jury is out, but there is one thing for certain: If you do chose to consume soy products, they must be organic. Moreso than any other of the “dirty dozen”, soy products which are not organic, are RIFE with harmful chemical pesticides, that are directly linked to hormone regulation.
Anyway, choose your soy products wisely, and don’t be afraid to experiment. If you currently drink soy milk, try almond. And if you
love veggie burgers, but are now reading the ingredient list in horror at the amount of NON-organic soy is contained in each one, try these. Dr. Praeger’s California Veggetable Burgers. I love these because they are ACTUALLY vegetable burgers. Not some strange concotion of barely readable ingredients, and mounds of unhealthy soy. Remember, just because it doesn’t have meat, doesnt mean you shouldn’t read the label! Dr. Praeger loads in the vegetables and has minimal binders, making these a healthy, not to mention absolutely delicious choice for anyone looking for a satisfying “clean” veggie burger experience! Have with an Ezekial burger bun, arugula, red oinion and some stone ground mustard…YUM!
jinjisfoodlove 
I recently found out that most of the bad rap that soy is getting has been through heavily slanted studies funded by the dairy industry. So I take what I read about soy with a grain of salt.
I still consume TVP and soy milk sometimes, but we mix it up and do almond milk or seitan or beans for protein too. Too much of anything isn’t good for you, except perhaps wheat grass 😉
Sadly, as is the case with most alternative food items. Here, Dairy vs. Soy, in other worlds, Pharma vs. Holistic, Meat vs. Legumes, Corn vs. Natural Sweeteners…The list goes on and on, right? In the end we all have to decide what we believe in, and listen to what our bodies tells us it likes. Moderation is so important, and as you say–too much of any one thing is probably not great.
I like to use information like this to my advantage and experiment with like-foods and products, to aid in that moderation. I remember the day I found almond milk was a big lightbulb moment!
Thanks for reading!!
I second that! I just read that the dairy industry is trying to pass legislation that all non-dairy beverages (almond, soy, coconut, etc) cannot be called milk, they must be called “almond, soy or coconut beverage” they also want labeling on the front of said products to say that the products do no contain sufficient amounts of protein or amino acids. It is crazy how far they will go. Don’t even get me started on the corn syrup story
Drives me bonkers.
Hilarious. Reminds me of the Dairy industry vs. Margarine back in the 70’s. Do you know that one? SO when Marargine was first produced, the Dairy industry strong armed margine producers into keeping their product white in color, and not coloring it yellow. They were afraid people would begin to replace their butters with margarine if it looked the same! It wasn’t until a few years later that Margarine was almost extinct (which, would have been nice, as Margarine was really the first trans fat..not to defend butter…), that the Dairy folk finally agreed to let them color it yellow. As suspected, people believed the hype that it was healthier, and since it LOOKED like butter now, they couldn’t buy enough of it. Ugh…food. So political.