Posted by Beth Sumrell-Ehrensberger on Mon, Oct 12, 2009
You may have spotted edamame on restaurant menus, in the freezer section of your grocery store or even at the deli salad bar. The little green bean with a funny name is turning up all over the place. What is this exotic new food, exactly?
It's not so new or exotic, as it turns out. Edamame is just soybeans (usually still in the pod) with a fancy uptown name. Who knew? Most of my life, I've regarded soybeans, ahem, edamame, as just another scrubby plant that divides the rural highways en route to vacation. But edamame is worthy of the fuss: When it comes to protein, you can't beat it. There is only one plant-based protein that is considered to be a complete protein, and it's—you guessed it—the soybean. What's more, for about 300 calories per one-cup serving, edamame delivers 29 whopping grams of satiating protein, which is about twice as much as other beans. Plus, it boasts 10 grams of fiber and 9 milligrams of iron to fill you up and provide an fatigue-fighting boost. As a bonus, edamame is also the richest dietary source of isoflavones, which act as phytoestrogens that may help protect against some types of cancer and osteoporosis. (If you're worried about soy and its effect on breast cancer, most studies suggest that moderate amounts of dietary soy—from food not supplements—is probably OK. If you're at risk for cancer, you can check with your doctor.)
Edamame beans are great in pasta salad, as well as in mixed green salads, too. Need a quick veggie side? Simply steam edamame and dress with a little olive oil and bottled roasted garlic. You can also use them to add more nutrition to trail mix: Toss salted, roasted edamame with a handful of whole grain cereal and a tiny box of raisins.
Soybeans, edamame—whatever you call them, make sure you toss them into your cart!
For more healthy-eating and recipe ideas, check out TheBestLife.com.