Soybeans, a member of the legume family, are used to make many different food products, making them a profitable crop for farmers. Soy foods contribute to a heart healthy diet because they contain complete protein, polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates. In addition, soybeans and their food products contain essential vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber. The wide variety of soy food products means there is something to satisfy just about any culinary need.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is a milk-like liquid produced by soaking, heating and grinding soybeans. Add water to the ground beans and bring it to a boil to create an extract of the beans. Soy milk is rich in protein, and commercial producers usually fortify soy milk with calcium. For those who suffer from lactose intolerance -- a condition that occurs when you fail to digest the sugar in milk known as lactose -- soy milk serves as a good alternative to traditional milk from mammals like cows.
Tofu
You can produce tofu from soy milk in a process similar to making cheese from milk. Add either calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride to soy milk to induce coagulation and create the curds and whey. Tofu comes in a variety of different textures depending on how much of the whey, or oil, is removed. Firm tofu can be used as an alternative to meat because it serves as an excellent source of protein. In fact, soybeans are the only commonly known plant-derived food that contains complete protein, meaning it provides all of the essential amino acids, according to the National Soybean Research Laboratory.
Miso
Another soy food product, miso, is commonly used to make soup. To make miso, soak the soybeans to allow them to absorb water. Then cook the beans, either in water or by steaming them. Cool the beans and then mix with salt and a mold fungus known as Aspergillus oryzae. The final miso product occurs during the fermentation process as the protein and carbohydrate are broken down.
Natto
Natto also occurs as a result of the fermentation of soybeans. To produce this sticky cheese-like food product, add Bacillus natto to beans after washing, soaking and steaming them.
Tempeh
Tempeh is a chewy, dense soy food product often used as a meat substitute. The texture of tempeh allows for a variety of cooking methods like grilling or baking in casseroles. Because soybeans contain very little saturated fat, using tempeh in the place of meat helps promote healthy cholesterol levels and a healthy heart.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce, a common addition to many Asian foods, is produced by fermenting soybeans with a mold like Aspergillus oryzae, similar to the production of miso. Add salt to the resulting liquid to create this salty, earthy condiment.
Member Comments