Lifestyle Choices

Soymilk is the dissolved liquid pressed from whole soybeans that have been soaked, cooked, and ground. The creamy milk can serve the same purposes as cow’s milk-but with added advantages. It is a boon for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk You can buy soymilk in several flavors, including chocolate, carob, and vanilla, and in lower-fat versions. You also can make your own soymilk. Some brands of soymilk are fortified with calcium, vitamins, and minerals. They may also contain a natural sweetener, oil, and/or a thickener. Plain, regular soymilk by itself has a nutty flavor and is loaded with nutrients. Eight ounces has 10 grams of protein and 80 milligrams of calcium, plus iron, B vitamins, and complex carbohydrates. Street vendors in China and Japan sell soymilk made fresh daily. It is usually served sweetened as a beverage or flavored with soy sauce, onions, and vegetables as a savory soup. (more…)

Tempeh (pronounced TEM-pay) originated in Indonesia, where it is a staple food, eaten with rice as a main meal or alone as a snack. To make tempeh, whole, cooked soybeans are blended with rice or grains. This mixture is then injected with a culture and fermented for twenty-four hours to form a dense, chewy cake. Tempeh is much higher in fiber than most other soy-based products because it is made from the whole bean. It also is high in protein. Like tofu, it picks up the flavors of whatever it is seasoned or cooked with. However, it does have a flavor of its own, which is nutty and reminiscent of mushrooms. (more…)

Miso (pronounced meets) is produced when soybeans and a grain, usually rice or barley, are combined with salt and a mold culture, then fermented in wooden vats for up to three years. The resulting paste, which is rich in B vitamins and protein, is an essential condiment in Japan and China. Rather than starting their day with coffee, most Japanese get a nutritional boost from a cup of hot miss soup. Miss can be used to season and enrich all types of soups and stews, whether clear or creamed. It also can add nutrition and flavor to sauces, gravies, salad dressings, dips, sandwich spreads, casseroles, and vegetables. You can even marinate tofu in miso. Unpasteurized miso contains live cultures and has abundant lactic-acid-forming bacteria, protein, and enzymes that aid digestion. Also, the antioxidants in fermented soy foods-such as miso-are more easily absorbed than those in unfermented soybeans and soy products. (more…)

Soybeans can be either green (fresh) or dry. Green soybeans are harvested just before maturity, when the beans are still green, and have a sweet flavor. Green soybeans can he enjoyed as a snack, served as a main vegetable dish, stir-fried, or added to soups and salads. They can be boiled in the pod (which is not eaten), or shelled. They are also sometimes called edamame. Some Asian markets stock fresh green soybeans; however, they are most likely to be found in the frozen food section of natural foods stores. Refrigerate fresh soybeans and use them within two days. Frozen, they will keep for several months. (more…)

SOYBEAN NUTRITION

The soybean is a self-contained protein factory. Through the action of bacteria living in its roots, the soy plant can make its own nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate protein production. Research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shown that the soybean produces such high-quality protein that it can supply the essential amino acids the body needs daily. Soybean protein is high in quantity, as well; one-half cup of cooked soybeans contains 14 grams of protein. (more…)