Gluten-Free Soy Sauce Alternative: Liquid Amino Acids

Whether you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, you may be surprised to find out soy sauce is no longer on your menu. Thickeners made from wheat and barley often taint the Chinese condiment. Since I'm a lover of whole grain brown rice and fresh sauteed veggies, I was thrilled to learn about liquid aminos. The savory sauce with a salty kick is gluten-free and a close cousin in flavor to soy sauce.

Add liquid aminos to a fresh, whole foods stir fry.
                  Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.




Made from soybeans, liquid aminos also pack a powerful healthy punch. The brand that I have been using, Bragg Liquid Aminos, contains 16 essential amino acids needed for organ and tissue growth.


The list includes Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tyrosine, Valine and Lysine.

Plus, the Bragg brand is free of preservatives, artificial dyes, alcohol, chemicals and genetically modified ingredients. Basically, it's soybeans and water.

According to the Bragg website, 1/2 tsp of liquid aminos contains 310mg of protein, zero calories and 160mg of sodium. So, use the liquid sparingly if you're on a low-sodium diet. I enjoy drizzling the liquid over a stir fry, adding it to soups in place of salt and using it as a base in homemade salad dressing.

Have you used liquid aminos? Let me know!

Until next time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela
Whole Foods Living

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10 comments:

  1. Have you researched Braggs Liquid Aminos anywhere else than the Braggs website?

    It tastes more like a chemical to me than a "natural" food so I decided to do some research on my own and came across info saying the soybeans are treated with hydrochloric acid and then to neutralize the acidic mixture it is neutralized with sodium bicarbonate which produces the extreme salty taste.
    You can read for yourself here:
    http://theashbulletin.blogspot.com/2011/02/danger-of-bragg-liquid-aminos.html

    Marie
    liffocus@yahoo.com

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    1. Hi Marie, Thanks for commenting. I learned about this product while shopping at my local grocery store. The dietician on-hand recommended it to me. I've been using it for awhile now and really like the salty taste it adds to Chinese dishes. So, no I have not researched beyond the dietician, my personal experience and the Bragg's website. Off to check out the link you provided. Thanks again! I'm always ready to learn more! ~Angela

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  2. How about Tamari- wheat free/Gluten free soy sauce?

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    1. Yes! That is another good option. I picked up a sample of some Tamari sauce at a health fair recently. I'm anxious to give it a try! ~Angela

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  3. My son and I cannot eat this product. It causes an extreme reaction even in small amounts. Same reaction as a free glutamate overload and gluten reaction. Soya is inflammatory for the body and GI tract and people in the healing stages of GI tract issues usually benefit from staying off of corn and soy as well.

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    1. Great information! Thanks for commenting! ~Angela

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    2. Thanks for this! I react to this every time I eat it and I have Celiac. I bought some for my mom, though her reaction is different to mine, she reacts to it as well.

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  5. I found this article on a web search for "whole foods soy free sauce". Do you know of any soy-free alternatives to soy sauce? Preferably similar in taste and not strong-smelling.

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    1. I personally have not used any soy-free sauces that taste like soy sauce. However, if you Google "soy free soy sauce alternatives" you'll find several bloggers offering recipes to make soy-free sauces. Good luck! ~Angela

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