There is no MSG added to our Beef (Not!)® soy products. Many healthy fruits and vegetables, like peas, soybeans, tomatoes, corn (and even human breast milk) naturally contain glutamic acid. When glutamic acid is present naturally in a product, there is always a possibility of it creating a trace amount of MSG when digested.

There has been talk recently (by various media reports) regarding children’s allergic reactions to peanuts. As this can be an even fatal reaction, Carb (NOT!)™ Low Carb Beanit Butter is an excellent school time alternative. We have several 5 and 6 year olds right here at Dixie that are fooled quite regularly! I also know a 55 year old that thought he just ate a real peanut butter & jelly sandwich, too!

No, it is not. It is, however, an excellent source of sodium (salt)!

Stored on your pantry shelf, dry, several years. Just keep the package closed and dry. Take out what you want to use at a time, and store. AFTER REHYDRATING, in your fridge for a week or so. Freshness depends upon what you mix with it. Some dishes like lasagna keep for a week, others may not taste as fresh a week later. Freeze your leftovers to really preserve the taste for 2-6 months. I have been trying to get 25 grams of soy a day, but find it difficult to do so, can you help? Any amount of soy you add to your diet is good. Some days when I travel, and know I will not be eating soy for a main meal, I take along Nutlettes® Cereal, and Crème It! I have now added the new Shakemate to my travel pac and order a glass of orange juice to mix it with. It tastes good, and makes it easy to get at least 10 or 12 grams of soy protein. Just do the best you can. Soy adds up. Try Beanit™ Butter, Jerky, and make a cup of hot chocolate with Crème It!. Enjoy making it a part of your day, be creative, it’s fun, and just do the best you can.

No, it is not.

The PH factor of the Beef (Not!)® unflavored is 6.8. The concentrated Midland Harvest mixes is 6.90 (7 is considered neutral).

There is no MSG added to our Beef (Not!)® soy products. Many healthy fruits and vegetables, like peas, soybeans, tomatoes, corn (and even human breast milk) naturally contain glutamic acid. When glutamic acid is present naturally in a product, there is always a possibility of it creating a trace amount of MSG when digested.

After the tremendous health benefits of a soy diet were reported a year or so ago, several people “jumped on the bandwagon”, writing books and articles and doing interviews on “their opinions” with respect to soy. These are speculative and may vary considerably. Our Beef (Not!)® and Fat (Not!)® products like Crème It! and Nutlettes® are WATER WASHED. What this means is that the protective benefits of the isoflavones (the unique antioxidants) and phytoestrogens are assured. Of course we cannot speak for other manufacturers, generally those supermarket foods that contain soy are not water washed. It has become more efficient in manufacturing to use an “alcohol” wash, which can strip soy or isoflavones. We have begun labeling our products, indicating the amount of isoflavones in them. Our products have 2-1/2 to 3 milligrams per gram of product; this includes the defatted soy flour product.

The caramel coating used in the Beef (Not!)® products and Nutlettes® Cereal is derived from corn. It is NOT a dye or an actual food coloring. It is made by naturally cooking corn slowly, without any additives to release the intrinsic sweetness and caramel-like color. This enables the products to “hold their shape” and enables them to “grab” hold of cooking flavors. In recipes this process is commonly referred to as “caramelized onions”, etc. (see our Mexican Stromboli, and Dixie Carbonara recipes). In other non Dixie products, caramel coloring may be made from other ingredients ­ not all caramel coloring is made this way, ours is. It is a basic generic term.

Good question, I suppose it is different strokes for different people. Soy is just now being realized by mainstream medicine as a “hot” alternative to drug “pill” type hormone based therapy. Keep on eating it as a food and don’t take a “soy pill”, though, because in order to get the full spectrum of benefits, (and not just for menopause, but for all chronic disease protection benefits) you should consume it as a food.

We would like to make it available in local health food stores. If you have a favorite store you frequent, tell them to call us. However, the ability to pass along recipes and trade information would also be limited if it were ONLY available in health food stores, so direct mail has its advantages, too. Additionally, many health food stores are basically unresponsive to stocking “new” types of food products, as their shelf space and funds are limited. One of our prime goals at Dixie is to keep our products cost effective, and the value you receive by purchasing direct from us is greater. As a rule, retail prices go up when distribution costs are incurred, and new packaging is required.

Beef (Not!)® is a quality soy food product that is designed to pick up the flavors of the spices you use with it for truly beef-style meal preparation. The generic brand of TVP found in most health food stores (usually in a bulk tub with a scoop, or clear bagged) is simply a “stretcher” type product that is a broad application product most of the time, this type of soy-based textured vegetable protein is used to stretch meat like pork and beef sausage products. Hence, it is not specifically formulated. Beef (Not!)® is water washed to protect the healthful isoflavones of the soy itself. It tastes better, because it is better!

Shoot for at least 60 mg of isoflavones. You will see the amount of isoflavones indicated for each of our soy products. You can, of course, get more, but try to get at least 60 mg. daily of these protective properties. Not all soy is the same. Soy isolates are low in isoflavones, 5 mg per tablespoonful, compared with say Crème It!(our fiber rich tofu milk & sauce maker) which has 21. It’s easy to get this as Nutlettes® has 61 mg. per 1/4 cup dry, and the Beef (Not!)® and Chicken TM Turkey TM products have approximately the same. It’s very easy to get your daily soy isoflavones. Even snacking on Beanit™ (soy nuts) gives you 30 mg per 1/8 cup (3 g fat). Get it any way you can, but just get it. I get over 100 mg a day, easily.

There is a big difference between animal protein and plant protein. Too much animal protein has been said to contribute to bone mass loss, kidney problems and various other complications. Plant protein, and SOY protein specifically, has been shown to increase bone density and provide all of the essential amino acids needed to sustain human life. The human body does not assimilate it like animal protein. All proteins were not created equal! The Japanese consume 50-100 grams or more of soy protein daily and are the longest living people in the world. We ship most of the soybeans we raise in America to Japan; ironic, isn’t it!

Current findings are showing that dry and wrinkled skin were 25 and 30% lower in women who use estrogen (soy is a natural estrogen). Soy builds bone density. Estrogen may help women with Alzheimer’s disease recover memory and concentration Previous studies reported. Post-menopausal women 10 year estrogen therapy reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s by 30-40%. Isoflavones, found in soy, may dramatically help people who suffer from one type of migraine headache (HHT). Also nosebleeds. A 70 mg daily intake for 3 months, nosebleeds were drastically reduced, as well as complete relief from migraines. Breast and prostate cancer studies are now beginning utilizing the DDC products. Congress had discussions in March on the benefits of a daily intake of soy.

Virtually all of the fiber in the Beef (Not!)® product line is insoluble. The rich aid to digestion type known as “roughage.” They move waste through the intestinal tract. They are the natural “bottlebrush.” They promote regularity and help prevent constipation. Insoluble fiber speeds up the time harmful waste is left in the intestines. Keep up the good work, Ray someone upstairs is writing it all down.

Aside from the great source of protein, and calcium (16% of your RDA in a 1/2 cup serving) and iron (28%), Beef (Not!)® also has the following nutrients and minerals (shown in mg per 100 g): Potassium-2474, Phosphorus-730, Magnesium-313,Zinc-5.3, Manganese-3.4, Biotin-.07, as well as Selenium, Chromium, Molybdenum, and Iodine. In addition you will find Niacin, Vitamins A, D, E, B6, B12, K, Chloride, fatty acids, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Niacin, and Folic Acid. It’s a food-based powerhouse.