Why is soy so expensive?

Question

My 14 mo old baby has multiple food allergies, milk being one of them. Her doctor recommend Silk soy milk. We eventually found some other soy products including yogurt, mac n chreese, and rice cheese. I had always been told that soy is easier to produce, cheaper to produce, better for environment, etc compare to cow products. So why can I buy regular mac n cheese for $0.33 and soy mac n cheese for $1.79? Or can anyone tell me where to buy for cheaper? Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Thanks Mr. Meat! I was wondering if it was deductible!

What is tetra pack?

Drum Wizard,
Soy is a medical necessity for my baby! Her pediatrican said so! You obviously have not tried breastfeeding or you would not dare suggest it for a 2-3 year old. My baby already has 16 teeth in her mouth.

Answer 1

You are correct -- soy products are very cheap to make. But anything that is produced and targeted for the veggie head market costs more.

Why? Because veggie heads will pay it. Quite simple.

What is unfortunate is that people who do have allergies, and are normal in their eating habits otherwise suffer by paying more as well. You might check into tax write offs for the special food that you have to buy for your child since it is medical necessity and hence can be deducted under medical expenses. Check with whomever does your taxes or the IRS, but I think I am correct.

Answer 2

Mr. Meat is right about Soy's expense caused by marketing. New vegetarians think they should consume soy. They may later learn it's not nessessary to mimic the typical american diet with "substitutes".

But he's wrong that Soy or dairy is a medical necessity.
Babies shouldn't eat either one. They should be breastfed until 2 or 3(not sure). After that, fruit, veggies, beans and nuts have all that's needed.

YOu can go to the original soybean (bulk section, under $1 lb., soak overnight then boil, bake,etc). But don't forget other beans: Garbonsos are high in calcium.

Answer 3

Try store brand soy milks. I've found Whole Foods brand for about $1.50 for a 32-oz tetra pack. You can buy in large amounts, as it lasts a long time; you don't have to refrigerate it until you open it. I've seen Silk tetra packs, and they may be cheaper (and last longer) than the refrigerated soy milks. Whole Soy & Company yogurt is about 99 cents at Whole Foods and $1.19 at a local natural foods store. I've read that Trader Joe's has a soy yogurt, but I have never seen it at my local TJ's.

As for why regular mac & cheese (and ramen soups) is 33 cents while soy mac & cheese (and vegan ramen) is more expensive, crap is cheap. Check the ingredients, and you will see a lot of chemicals and indecipherable ingredients in Kraft, but not as many in the Road's End. But go online to www.vegweb.com for tons of vegan recipes. "La Dolce Vegan" by Sarah Kramer has a recipe for mac & cheese. There's also "The Uncheese Cookbook" by Joanne Stepaniak.

If you like veggie loaf, check out the Vegetarian Loaf Studio (Google it). And for kiddie food, check out Vegan Lunchbox.

Try buying the ingredients and making stuff instead of buying mixes wherever possible. This will probably help reduce the chance of your child eating something to which she is allergic.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Try looking at a local Asian Market. I find Soy products much more reasonable than at the Health Food or Grocery store. In all honesty being a small child I would stick with the name brands you are getting now. Also try Rice Milks, cheeses etc. for her. I don't know that they are cheaper but I like them also.

Answer 5

Contrary to what redshirt claims, the reason is because the companies know you folks won't eat anything else. For many products (such as mac 'n cheese), it's soy or nothing.

Once again it's thumbs down for a completely accurate answer. You're supposed to thumb the answer not the answerer. Must be the "under 25" group. They have a second to thumbs down me then it's back to SpongeBob on tv.

Answer 6

Soy products are still considered niche, and are subsequently more expensive. Unique demographics mean higher prices.