An Introduction to Healthy Soy Foods

Whether you are cooking for vegetarians or simply trying to improve your diet, one of the most common choices for replacing protein and limiting fat is soy. The main soy choices include soy, tofu and soy milk.

Soy in its most natural form is far less likely to be a replacement than products derived from it. Yet it can be an ingredient in soups and stews. In order to use soybeans by themselves, you'll want to soak them in water overnight and then cook them for two to three hours. As an alternative, you can soak them and then bake them to create a crunchy snack. These can help increase protein consumption, but it really isn't how most people use soy.

Most people are more likely to try tofu. This curd is created by mixing warm soy milk with a thickening agent. If you choose a nonsilken tofu, the thickening agent helps produce calcium, too. Tofu has very little flavor on its own. This means it can take on flavor, and even texture, reasonably well -- but if you don't infuse it with something, tofu isn't going to taste pleasant.

By far, soy milk is the easiest type of soy to begin experimenting with. This is made from the milk of crushed soybeans. It typically has sweeteners and thickeners to make it more like cow's milk. The taste is not going to trick anyone into thinking it is cow's milk, but soy milk, while different, doesn't taste bad on its own. It can be added to cereal or coffee or used to replace milk in most recipes. It generally is not much more expensive than milk and has just as much protein and less fat.

Soy also can be used in butter, cheese and even flour. With a bit of experimentation, you can use soy to lower both fat and calories in a wide variety of meals. To replace meat entirely, you'll need more time, experimentation and effort. Everyone can use healthy soy food to expand and improve his or her diet.