Foods High in Soy

Soy foods are made primarily from soy beans, a high-protein food that offers a number of health benefits. Foods high in soy can be used as meat replacers for vegetarians and people who want to move to a more low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Soy also contains omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and vitamin B. There are a great many foods made from soy, and soy foods have long played a part in Asian cuisine, most notably Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Soy can be made into many forms, which makes it an extremely versatile food to work with.

Tofu

• Tofu originally came from China, where it still remains popular. Tofu resembles cheese and usually comes in one of three textures: soft, medium and hard. Soft tofu falls apart easily and is best used crumbled, while hard tofu stays together and can be used for stir-fries. Hard tofu is also frequently added to soups in Korean food. You can also find silken tofu, which is very soft and is best used pureed or blended as a soup or cream base.

Soy Milk

• Soy milk is a nondairy drink made from soaking soy beans and then grinding them together with water. The resulting beverage is usually a light beige or white color and can be used the same as cow’s milk. Plain soy milk has a slight bean flavor and is best used for cooking, but there are numerous flavored soy milks now available with flavors more palatable to the average person, such vanilla and chocolate soy milk.

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

• Textured vegetable protein is made from soy flour that has had all the oil taken out of it. It’s then shaped into various forms, usually small granules that resemble ground meat, but it can be found in other shapes as well. Square TVP chunks are often used in soups and stews, and Indian food sometimes uses small, round pieces of TVP. TVP needs to be reconstituted with hot liquid before you can eat it, but it can be used almost the same as ground beef in tacos, sauces, sloppy joes or even hamburgers.

Tempeh

• Tempeh is a kind of soy bean cake made from fermented beans. In the past, it was mainly used in Indonesian food, but its denseness and firm texture has made it popular with vegetarians everywhere. Tempeh can be cut into strips and fried, as it holds together well. Tempeh is often used in sandwiches and can make a good bacon substitute.

Miso

• Miso is fermented soy bean paste long popular in Japan. Miso is often used for flavoring, sauces, dressings or dissolved in water as a soup or soup base. Misos come in different colors and different flavors, with the darker misos being heavier and more flavorful than the lighter misos, but also having more sodium.