Healthy Soy Products

The first written record of soybeans dates from 2,838 B.C. in China, where people have eaten and cultivated the beans for centuries. The array of soy products is huge and includes the beans themselves as well as tofu, oil, cheese, flour, ice cream, margarine, mayonnaise, soy sauce, yogurt, miso and tempeh among others. According to Registered Dietitian Jennifer Sabol, soy products are an excellent source of low-fat protein.

Soy Products in General

All soy products are high in protein, B vitamins, calcium and iron. They also contain substances that may protect you against some cancers, such as phytochemicals, isoflavones, antioxidants and lecithin, according to Mark Messina, Ph.D, and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD. The Messinas also note that soy food may reduce heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.

Soybeans

Soybeans also contain lots of fiber. You'll find dried soybeans in the bulk foods section of your grocery store and green soybeans in the frozen food section, both in the pod, when they are called edamame, and out of the pod. Cook green soybeans for 10 minutes in boiling water and serve them sprinkled on salads, mixed with parsley and other herbs as a side dish or tossed with pasta. Sprinkle kosher salt on edamame pods after cooking and eat them by hand, scraping the beans out of the pod with your teeth.

Soy Milk

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans increase their consumption of calcium-rich foods, and they include fortified soy beverages on their list. Use soy milk in the same way you would dairy milk, in your coffee and cereal, in cream soups, in custards and puddings and for drinking. Walter Willett, M.D., from Harvard School of Public Health says that soy milk is safe for children to drink, and that some studies suggest that it may reduce your children's' risk of developing breast cancer and prostate cancer as they age.

Tofu

Also known as soybean curd, tofu is made from curdled soy milk, which is drained and pressed into either firm tofu for stir-fries and pan frying or silken tofu for use in salad dressings, puddings and smoothies. Once opened and stored in water in the refrigerator, tofu stays fresh for up to one week. Use frozen tofu crumbles in the same way you would hamburger, in chili, stews, soups and taco salads. Tofu is often the main ingredient in meat look-alikes, such as hot dogs, lunch meats and burgers.

Soy Flour

Made from roasted soybeans, soy flour is sold in the bulk foods section of your grocery. It is a gluten-free product so it can't replace all of the wheat flour in your normal recipes. Substitute up to ¼ cup of the flour called for in your recipe with soy flours, and use it on its own to make cream sauces.

Other Products

Look for tempeh, a fermented soybean product often mixed with other grains, in the refrigerated case in your grocery's Asian food section. Crumble tempeh into soups or stews or use it whole as a meat substitute in barbecue recipes. Miso, a paste made from soybeans and grains, is also in the refrigerated, Asian food section. Use it to flavor soups and sauces.