Soy - Part 2: Bring it on!

If you read Part 1 of this series, you may be thinking either it takes eating a truckload of soy foods to have a positive effect or "Not me, I'm not eating tofu!"

Keep in mind, you can benefit by including as little as 2-3 servings of soy foods per day! Check out the selection at your local market. Many stores stock soy yogurt, soymilk, soy nuts, soy cheeses, soy hotdogs, soy burgers as well has tofu, tempeh and soybeans. You'll be surprised how the availability, taste and variety of soy foods have increased dramatically.

Here are some practical tips for using more soy foods. Each of the following suggestions provides enough soy to equal one serving, so pick several to try each day!

1. Add fresh or frozen fruits to 1 cup reduced fat, fortified soymilk or yogurt for a quick smoothie.
2. Use 1 cup of vanilla-flavored reduced fat, fortified soymilk for your cereal.
3. Top a salad or vegetables with a 1/4-cup dry roasted soy nuts.
4. Mix 1/4-cup dry roasted soy nuts with cereal and dried fruit for trail mix.
5. Order a tofu-based entree when dining out in Asian restaurants for 1-2 servings of soy.
6. Substitute 1/2 cup ground soy burger in place of 2 ounces ground beef in casseroles, lasagna, soup, tacos, pizza and spaghetti sauce.
7. Blend 4 ounces of low fat silken tofu until smooth and substitute it for sour cream in any recipe. This will also work in place of cream in soups or sauces.
8. Try 1-cup reduced fat, fortified chocolate soymilk as a healthy way to get your chocolate fix!
9. Use 1 ounce shredded reduced fat soy cheese on top of a homemade pizza.
10. Substitute 1/3-cup soy flour in baking.
11. Try a soy-based vegetarian burger for a quick meal idea.

In addition to these quick ideas, you may also be interested in cooking with more raw soy products. Here are some tips to help you enjoy tofu or tempeh:

1. Be aware that raw soy produces are bland by themselves so use flavorful ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, ginger or peppers to pump up the taste!
2. Tofu is available in several types...soft, firm and extra firm. Generally, it is best to use firm or extra firm for stir-fries or baking. (Always choose reduced fat when available.)
3. Do not let the fat in tofu or tempeh alarm you. The fat in these products is mainly polyunsaturated, a better type of fat. Also, when compared to animal protein sources, Soy is far superior because it contains no saturated fat.
4. There are few foods that offer the variety of health benefits that you get by eating more soy products! So, next time you shop don't forget the soy...it's more than just a bean!