There are so many ways to get this good-for-you protein into your daily diet. If you bypass Tofu at salad bars, skip the meatless dishes at Chinese restaurants, and avoid edamame like the plague, it's time to give soy-based foods a second look. "Whole soy foods are a great substitute for meat," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Their healthy protein content makes them a good option even if you are not looking to become a vegetarian or opting to eat less meat. This legume should be a regular and great-tasting part of your diet.
All soy products are made from soybeans, mostly grown here in the United States. You can buy whole soybeans dried or canned, or in the produce section. Beyond the whole bean, soy takes on a number of different faces. Roasted soy beans are sold as soy nuts or ground into soy nut butter. Soy beans can be soaked in water, cooked, and filtered to make soy milk and soy yogurt. Adding a coagulant to soy milk produces tofu, which ranges in texture from very soft to extra firm depending upon how much liquid is removed. Soy beans can also be fermented into a paste called miso or a cake or patty called tempeh, which is often used in place of meat in sandwiches or grilled and eaten on its own. Soy can also be found in packaged foods- such as frozen meatless burgers, cereals, and energy bars - often in the form of "soy protein isolate," meaning it's mostly the protein from soybeans you are getting.
Soy's biggest nutritional claim to fame is its complete protein, one of the only plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids our bodies need from our diets. This makes it an ideal substitute for meat, poultry, and eggs. In fact, a half cup of cooked soybeans supplies about one-third of your necessary daily protein. That protein and the fiber it contains make it very filling.
Soy also packs a number of phytochemicals, including isoflavones, which may work together to help fight conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer. (Though you might have heard that women with a history of breast cancer should avoid soy, recent research suggest that's probably not necessary, says Karen Collins, R.D. nutrition adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research.) Like most foods, you get more of their good-for-you attributes when eaten closest to their original state. You may get slightly more nutrients from fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh, since the fermentation process can make those nutrients more absorbable by the body, but most forms of this legume deserve a place on your plate.
There are two exceptions: First, avoid soy isoflavone supplement pills and powders. Research has not yet determined how much of it is safe to take. Plus, unlike whole soy foods, they don't give you the full range of phytochemicals and other nutrients. Secondly, though foods made with soy protein isolate (like soy burgers and soy dogs) do usually contain less saturated fat than their meat counterparts, they also tend to be loaded with sodium and additives, so use them as a treat, but don't make them a staple.
Soy can be used many, many ways in cooking and it tends to absorb the other flavors in your recipe, so it's great to use with your favorite seasonings. Because it is so soft, silken tofu works well as a thickener for sauces, dips and smoothies. My favorite pasta sauce is made blending tofu and roasted red peppers, along with some seasoning and vegetable broth. Have some fun exploring for recipes and remember that when you add soy, you are adding protein and fiber so you are likely to find it very filling.
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