Answers to Your Questions on Soy and Diet
Q: Why should I add soy foods to my diet?
A: Soy is a great way to add nutrition into your diet. Soy is low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and contains high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, and numerous other nutrients. Not only that, the wide range of soy foods products provide easy and delicious options for meals and snacks!
Q: Help, I don’t know what to do with soy!
A: Soy foods are great in the diet because they come in many forms and are extremely versatile. Take tofu for example. It can be used for breakfast in the form of a scramble, for a snack whipped up as a tofu smoothie, and for dinner served as a spicy tofu steak.
But that is only the beginning; soy comes in many different forms! Check out our soy fact sheets to find out more about all the wonderful soy food products, from tempeh to frozen desserts to soy nut butter and much more. Our recipe section can get you started incorporating soy into your diet or check out our 25 ways to enjoy soy foods for some simple tips on including soy in your daily routine.
Q: Can soy foods help in my weight-loss program?
A: Many soy foods are nutrient dense, meaning that they are rich in nutrients with a relatively low number of calories. This makes soy foods an excellent choice for those trying to lose weight. Using soy foods to replace high-calorie foods is a great way to decrease calories in the diet. For example, try the following substitutions:
- save 100 calories by substituting a soy veggie burger for a beef burger
- save 90 calories by having 2 soy links for breakfast instead of 2 pork sausage links
- save 70 calories by using a soy veggie dog to replace your usual beef hotdog
Q: I’m not vegetarian, what can soy offer me?
A: Even if you don’t follow a vegetarian diet, adding meat-free meals into your diet can help keep your health in check. Soy foods, such as tofu, soy burgers, and other soy products, are great as meat substitutes. By using soy in place of meat you replace saturated fats and excess calories with more healthful nutrients like fiber and healthful unsaturated fats.
Q: Where does soy fit on the MyPyramid guidelines?
A: Soy foods are all made from the soybean and therefore fit under the meat & beans category. To see exactly how many servings of these protein-rich foods you need each day, visit www.mypyramid.gov. To learn how to use soy foods to reach the goals set forth in the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines take a look at Meeting the Goal with Soy.
Additional Information on Soy and Diet:
