Summer sipping drinks to please

By The Soyfoods Council

To sweeten your summer, the Soyfoods Council offers ideas for refreshing spins on iced tea, iced coffee and soda fountain drinks, made with soymilk. Enjoy soymilk all day long.

You already know – or at least we hope you do – that according to the FDA, fortified soymilk is the only plant-based milk alternative with a nutrient content similar to dairy milk. That’s why soymilk is included as part of the dairy group in the dietary guidelines for Americans.

Fortified soymilk contains calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin D. On average, one cup of soymilk offers 7 grams of cholesterol-free plantbased protein.

Soymilk isn’t a new kid on the block, either. Traditionally, in Asia, it has been made by soaking soybeans in water, then grinding them with water. In the U.S. and Europe, it has been produced commercially for more than a century.

For an afternoon refresher, add vanilla soymilk to iced tea made with chai teabags (flavored with ginger, cinnamon and other spices) and sweeten to taste. Fans of powdered green tea can add ½ tsp. matcha tea powder to 1 cup plain or vanilla soymilk, then sweeten to taste, with simple syrup or honey.

Pamper yourself by adding chocolate soymilk to chilled iced coffee. Add whipped topping and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, if desired. Head to your own refrigerator for the ingredients for a bubble tea pick-me-up, consisting of vanilla soymilk, iced tea and chilled simple syrup (made by bringing equal amounts of water and sugar to a boil). Store cooked-boba pearls (tapioca pearls) in the refrigerator and add them to your tea before serving.

With or without ice cream, try a variation of a classic root beer float. It’s made with 1 cup root beer, ½ cup soymilk and ¼ teaspoon coffee extract.

You can start the day with a chilled morning drink that combines ¼ cup strawberry syrup, ¼ cup orange juice, ¼ cup vanilla soymilk and enough raspberry flavored seltzer water to fill the glass. Or, wind down with a cocktail at the end of a busy day. Simply add a shot of tequila to the other ingredients.

For more soymilk beverage ideas, including soymilk smoothies, visit thesoyfoodscouncil.com. The website offers new recipes, cooking tips, two free, digital cookbooks to download, and updates on soyfoods and your health.

The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers, and the retail and foodservice market, about the many benefits of soyfoods.