Soybeans are legumes, along with beans, lentils and peas. Soybeans can be an excellent source of protein and other essential nutrients, and you may want to increase your intake if you are on a vegan, or strict vegetarian, meal plan, or if you want to eat a more nutritious diet. Talk to a nutritionist for ideas about how to incorporate soybeans into your diet.
Quality
Soybeans provide high-quality, or complete, protein, meaning the protein contains each of the essential amino acids you require from your diet. All animal-based proteins, found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, are complete. Most plant-based proteins, such as those in nuts, grains, vegetables and beans, supply incomplete proteins. Protein from soybeans and soy products can help you meet requirements for the amino acids you need each day.
Forms
You can get soy protein from plain soybeans or from a variety of processed soy products. Types of high-fiber soybeans include green soybeans, or edamame, canned or dried black or white soybeans, and soynuts -- soaked, roasted soybeans. Miso, tempeh and tofu are high-protein fermented or aged soybean products, and soymilk and soy yogurt are high in protein and calcium. Many meat substitutes, such as veggie burgers or vegetarian sausage, contain soy protein.
Amount
Raw soybeans are high in protein, with 17 g protein per quarter-cup, or 47 g, serving. For comparison, an 85 g serving of canned tuna has 21 g of protein. For adults, about 10 to 35 percent of the calories in a balanced diet should come from protein, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because protein has 4 calories per gram, a 2,000-calorie diet should include an average of 50 to 170 g protein per day.
Heart Benefits
Soybeans are an alternative protein sources, a term for plant-based proteins that you can eat instead of animal-based proteins. Saturated fat and cholesterol raise levels of total and bad LDL cholesterol in your blood, and fatty meats and cheeses can be high in both. Alternative proteins, such as soybeans, may lower your risk for heart disease because they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free. Eating plant-based proteins instead of animal products may also lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- University of Michigan; Healing Foods Pyramid: Soy; 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Legumes and Legume Products
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
- MayoClinic.org; Meat-Free More Often: Alternate Protein Sources Promote Health; May 2010
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