No doubt you've sprinkled a tasty, dark fermented liquid on top of your Chinese food. You may even have a bottle of soy sauce in your kitchen cupboard, proof that soy products are increasingly part of our American lives.

While Asian cultures have long used their "little honorable plant" as part of a meatless and milkless diet, food shortages during World War II greatly increased the importance of the soybean and its recognition as a food in the Western world.

Today, the soybean is the most widely grown and used legume in the world. While legumes—the bean and nut family—are a good source of protein, the soybean alone has more protein than beef and more calcium than dairy milk, and is low in cholesterol and saturated fat.

Does this mean you can simply use more soy sauce to improve your diet? Actually, no. The sodium content in one tablespoon of soy sauce, 910 mg., erases any health benefits.

While soy sauce tends to give processed soy products a bad name, the soybean is the most well-researched, health-promoting food product available. The Food and Drug Administration recommends four servings a day of 6.25 grams of soy protein, for a daily total of 25 grams.

Under their Japanese name, edamame, whole soybeans are available either fresh or frozen. Their simple preparation involves steaming the pods in hot water, then popping out the beans. They can be eaten as a snack or added to soups and stews. Eating the whole bean is the best way to get all the nutrients that soybeans provide, as well as their dietary fiber.

Soybeans are increasingly used as a main ingredient in processed food products. Often marketed to those who are lactose-intolerant or vegetarian, soy-based foods can be consumed by anyone looking for more healthful eating.

Processing soybeans to create other nutritious food products began in China centuries ago. Traditional soy products include tofu, tempeh, and miso. Miso is fermented bean paste used as a flavoring in Japanese dishes; like soy sauce, its nutritional value is nonexistent. But tempeh (an Indonesian fermented bean cake) and tofu (a Chinese bean curd with a Japanese name) have long been known to provide as much protein and calcium as animal meats and cheeses.

Unless you're an adventurous eater who likes to frequent Asian markets and restaurants, it's unlikely that you'll add tofu or tempeh to your diet. But these products and their manufacture have opened the door for a gamut of soy-based products designed more for American tastes. Soy milk, for example, has only been mass-marketed in the past decade, but it has been around for centuries and is the main ingredient in tofu.

In addition to its use as a dairy milk alternative, soy milk is the base for a whole range of non-dairy "dairy" products, such as cheese, butter, cream, sour cream, cream cheese, pudding, and frozen desserts. Soy milk is available in original, vanilla, and chocolate flavors and can be substituted for cow's milk in recipes. Soy cheeses are available in many popular flavors, such as cheddar and mozzarella, and many styles, including shredded, sliced, and block. These cheeses may melt differently because they lack casein, which occurs naturally in cow's milk.

Just as the creation of tofu has segued into alternative dairy products, the Indonesian tempeh has inspired a new range of meat alternatives. Shoppers can find beef- or sausage-flavored crumbles, deli meats, burger patties, hot dogs, chicken-flavored patties and nuggets, and bacon-like strips, all created from textured soy flour or concentrates.

Read the nutrition labels to be sure, but these meat alternatives are generally high in protein, B vitamins, and iron, and low in fat. Be aware that these products may be high in sodium from the additional flavorings added to simulate the taste of meat.

The only major drawback to adding soy food products to your diet could be that soy is included in the "big eight" of known food allergens. Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, all foods that have soy listed as an ingredient must carry the additional warning, "Contains soy." In fact, however, a severe reaction to soy protein is rare; those who must avoid peanuts usually have no reaction to soy-based foods.

The versatile soybean continues to find its way into new food products—not just as a bean, but as a grain, oil, starch, milk, and textured protein. For more information about soy products and nutrients, visit:

www.soyfoods.com
www.soyfoods.org
www.soynutrition.com

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