Painless Ways to Add Soy to a Diet

Soy Products Like Tofu Offer a Wide Range of Health Benefits

May 15, 2009

The ancient Asians considered soy a sacred food. It isn't anymore, but its versatility and nutritional bonuses can't be denied.

Ancient Asians believed soy was one of five sacred grains, but it’s actually a legume, the edible seeds of plants. Besides soy, common legumes are peanuts, peas, and a variety of beans, including pinto, red and black beans, northern and butter beans.

Look at Soy’s Nutrition Power

Whatever it’s called, soy contains a host of healthy nutrients. For seniors seeking to find low cholesterol, low fat, low sugar options in their diets, soy can be a great choice. Among soy's nutritional pluses:

Soy is also rich in complex carbohydrates, the “good” carbs. These stay in the system longer and defuse slowly, making them better choices for fighting hunger.

Welcome to Tofu

Probably the soy product best known to non-Asians is tofu. Tofu is a creamy white soy product sold in small blocks, usually in silky, firm and extra consistencies. Tofu doesn’t have much flavor of its own; instead it picks up the flavors of foods and sauces with which it’s cooked. Silky tofu is great for dips, dressings, even cheesecakes. The firmer blocks are often used in stir-fries, and can be grilled, baked, and broiled.

Tofu can be used as interesting substitutes in many recipes. For example it can be mashed and used instead of ricotta cheese in lasagna.

Other Ways to Work Soy Into a Diet

Besides tofu, there are many other ways to work soy into a diet. A good goal is 25 grams of soy daily and it’s not as hard as one might think. Soy milk can be used any way regular milk would be. Just make sure to shake the container first, since the calcium in soy milk tends to settle on the bottom. Also make sure to check that the soy milk contains both calcium and B12; not all of them do.

Soybean sprouts are a great accent to salads and casseroles. Just cook briefly (about five minutes) first. Roasted soybeans are becoming more popular as a snack food and so are nutrition bars made with soy.

Soybean oil and soy flour can be used in various recipes, though they may be better as only a partial substitute (e.g., mixing soy flour in with regular flour). It may require some experimentation for each person to find the ways such products can fill their needs.

Finally there are a wide ranges of soy products now designed to act as meat substitutes, such as soy burgers and “sausage” patties.

Soy’s Health Benefits

There is a lot of confusion about what benefits soy does and doesn’t provide. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) does acknowledge that there is good research showing soy proteins may lower “bad” cholesterol levels. NCCAM is also supporting research into soy’s actual benefits in fighting heart disease and osteoporosis.

Soy supplements, which are high in a form of estrogen called phytoestrogens, may also help ward off some of the most common side effects of menopause (like hot flashes). One word of caution: any woman who is prone to estrogen-related cancers, like breast cancer (or if those cancers run in her family) should probably avoid or at least minimize her intake of soy products.

Soy Warnings

No food is perfect and soy is no exception. Soy allergies are very common, so it's wise to try adding small amounts to any diet at the start.

Soy is also high in an item called purines, which occur naturally in the body and break down into uric acid. Too much of this acid results in a form of arthritis called gout. Anyone who already has gout, or who has a family history of this disease, should be careful about using soy products (or using them too frequently).

Soy is a great source of iron, but it’s an iron not as easily absorbed as that in meat. To make absorption easier, try eating soy products with foods rich in vitamin C like tomatoes and red bell peppers.

Remember that soy is not a miracle food designed to stave off all health problems. But for most people it does provide some healthy complements, and even alternatives, in their diets. And it’s a great way to explore new food sources!

The copyright of the article Painless Ways to Add Soy to a Diet in Seniors' Health/Medicare is owned by Wendy J Meyeroff. Permission to republish Painless Ways to Add Soy to a Diet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.