Return to Main Menu

by Maggie Kress, MUSC Dietetic Intern

March is National Nutrition Month. During the month, we encourage you to “Take a Fresh Look at Nutrition” by making healthy food choices. One of the foods that might be a good addition to your diet is soy-based food.

Do you ever wonder what all the hype is about tofu and tempeh? About soybeans and soy milk? Have you tried some of these foods and wondered why people eat them at all?

Research studies are showing soy to have many health benefits, including lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, improving bone mineral density to guard against osteoporosis, protecting against prostate cancer, and improving menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

If you want to enter the wonderful world of soy, here are some foods to get you started:

Tofu is a mild, cheese-like block of soybean curd that acts like a sponge to absorb the flavors of other foods.

It is available in a firm variety, which is ideal for adding to chili, lasagna or spaghetti sauce.

Firm tofu can be diced and mixed with lowfat mayonnaise, mustard and a bit of paprika for mock egg salad, or it can be barbecued on the grill with tasty herbs and spices.

Tofu also comes in a soft variety, which is best used as a fat replacement in baked goods (choose the lowfat tofu). It can be combined with instant pudding to make a mousse, or can be used as the filling in stuffed shells.

Soy milk is one of the easiest to incorporate into the diet. It comes in many flavors: plain, which is ideal for using in soups, cream sauces, macaroni and cheese, baked goods, or poured over breakfast cereal. Flavors like vanilla, chocolate and almond are a nice addition to coffee or hot chocolate.

Soymilk can be a good source of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12 if it is the fortified variety.

Tempeh is a fermented soybean product, which is often sold as a mix of grains and soybeans. It is a square patty that can be marinated and grilled as a meat replacement, stir-fried vegetables and brown rice, diced and added to chicken salad or grilled as a tempeh, cheese and tomato sandwich.

Textured vegetable protein, also called textured soy protein (TVP or TSP) comes in small dehydrated granules.

It must be rehydrated with boiling water before use, but it is a versatile product to use as a meat extender or replacement in items like chili, hamburgers, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce and tacos.

There are many soy products on the market, and some have more health benefits than others. For the most benefit, get your nutrition from whole foods as much as possible.

Other healthful soy foods include soy flour, soybeans and soy grits. One to four servings of soy foods are recommended per day (one serving equals 1/2 cup of soybeans or TVP, a one-inch slice of tofu, three ounce of tempeh or eight ounces of soy milk). As you continue to strive for a healthy well-balanced diet that utilizes all of the food groups, work in some soy foods now and then.

For soy information, recipes and resources, call the United Soybean Board at 1-800-TALK-SOY.