Dear Readers, Crunchy, fresh, and aromatic: Soybeans are becoming increasingly popular. But what is soybeans?
Below you will find out everything you need to know about the exotic snack, from benefits and risks to tips for preparing it.
What is Soybeans?
Anyone who enjoys veg food will already be familiar with soybeans the finger food is served as a side dish.
This aptly describes the fact that soybeans are unripe soybeans.
The beans owe their growing popularity to two factors. The first of these is preparation. Soybeans are not eaten raw; the beans are cooked in their pods in salt water.
This gives the pod a salty aroma, while the soft-boiled contents taste mild and nutty. The second factor is health.
In contrast to conventional potato chips, bright green beans are low in calories but rich in nutrients.
Nutritional values of Soybeans: Low calories, high protein
Soybeans are just as tasty as traditional finger food but significantly healthier. 100 grams of cooked beans only contain 125 calories, while the same amount of chips contains 530 calories.
100 grams of soybeans also contain 10 grams of high-quality carbohydrates and 11 grams of pure protein.
It also contains four grams of fat.
Soybeans are therefore not only a hearty snack but also an important source of protein, especially for people who are active in sports.
But the beans are also a real recommendation for anyone who wants to eat a conscious and varied diet. Because soybean is not only rich in proteins but also in nutrients.
Ingredients and effects of soybeans
If you want to add spicy soybeans to your diet, you won’t just be doing your taste buds a favor.
You can also do something good for your health.
Because soybeans are rich in valuable ingredients that actively contribute to supplying your body with nutrients and strengthening the immune system.
Unsaturated fatty acids against high cholesterol
Fat belongs to the group of macronutrients along with proteins and carbohydrates. There are nutrients that your body regularly needs in sufficient quantities to survive.
Fat is therefore a natural part of a healthy and balanced diet.
But there are different types of fatty chemical substances that you can put into your body.
This also includes unsaturated fatty acids. The term “unsaturated” refers primarily to the chemical structure, which differs from that of the so-called “saturated” fatty acids.
Both types of fatty substances differ not only in their chemical structure but also in their effects.
While unsaturated fatty acids contain valuable active ingredients that, among other things, protect your heart, and keep your arteries supple and cholesterol levels low, saturated fatty
acids have the opposite effect.
Foods with a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as linseed or linseed oil, are therefore good for your health. And these foods also include soybeans.
Potassium for nerves and muscles
Soybeans are not only rich in unsaturated fatty acids, the beans are also rich in minerals.
Minerals are inorganic substances that perform essential tasks in your body. Therefore they are vital to him.
These minerals also include potassium, which influences your nerves and muscles, metabolism, and blood pressure.
A potassium deficiency can cause cardiac arrhythmias and, in the worst case, be fatal.
Calcium for bones and teeth
Other minerals found in soybeans are magnesium and calcium.
While the former affects your muscles, especially the heart muscle, calcium is primarily the basic building block of your skeleton.
Both magnesium deficiency and calcium deficiency can have serious health consequences.
Regular consumption of soybeans helps protect you from nutritional deficiency.
Iron for blood and oxygenation
Iron can also be found in unripe soybeans. In contrast to other minerals, iron is a trace element.
So your body only needs it in small amounts to function. But he needs it, because iron is essential for the formation of your blood cells and the oxygen supply to your body.
Consuming soybeans also helps you meet your daily iron needs and prevent widespread iron deficiency.
Vitamin C and vitamin E for the immune system
Like minerals, vitamins are nutrients that your body depends on but cannot produce itself.
That’s why he depends on them being supplied to him regularly as part of his diet.
Here, too, soybean is a valuable supplier because the beans contain several important vitamins.
These vitamins include, for example, immune-boosting vitamin C. But the so-called “cell protection vitamin” E is also represented.
Vitamin E got its nickname because it protects your cells from harmful molecules, the so-called free radicals, which can trigger cell mutations and subsequent diseases such as cancer.
Vitamin B12 and vitamin K for blood formation
Various nutrients from the B vitamin complex such as vitamin B12 are also present. These have an essential effect on nerves and the formation of genetic material and growth processes.
There is also vitamin K, which has a major influence on your blood formation. The folic acid it contains is particularly important for fertility.
Vitamin A for eyesight
Finally, the bright green color of soybeans also hides a valuable nutrient. The intense color comes from plant pigments, which are also known as “beta-carotenes”.
If necessary, your body can use this plant pigment to produce vital vitamin A, which has a particular effect on vision and the immune system.
Essential amino acids
Amino acids are one of the basic building blocks of the human body. Proteins are formed from them, which your organism then uses to build tissue.
Muscles, skin, and hair cannot be formed without proteins. But even though your body relies on the molecules, it cannot synthesize some amino acids itself.
The same applies to some minerals and vitamins. These are the so-called essential amino acids, which you must regularly supply to your organism through your diet.
Soybean is an excellent food source of essential amino acids. In contrast to many other foods, green beans contain not just one or two, but all nine of the essential amino acids that your body needs to survive.
Buy soybeans
If the healthy ingredients in soybeans have drawn your attention, you can also buy the beans yourself.
The best place to go is still Asian supermarkets or specialty retailers for Japanese food.
But soybeans can also be found more and more often in well-stocked grocers.
Fresh soybeans are hard to come by in Europe. In most stores, the beans are sold frozen.
You can now also purchase the snack trend online, although usually in canned goods. Frozen food is preferable here because it is not only fresher but also more nutritious than the canned version.
Whether chilled or canned, the soybeans are available both with and without the pod. While you can prepare classic soybeans from beans with pods, you can prepare the beans without the shell-like local beans.
Now you can not only buy pure beans but also products made from soybeans. Soybeans pasta and noodles are particularly popular..
However, they are ideal for people with gluten intolerance as they are gluten-free. In addition, they are often lower in calories and are therefore also suitable for a diet.
Eat soybeans
To properly enjoy soybeans, you need to know how to eat the beans properly. Because even though the beans are cooked in the pod, you can’t eat them.
Instead, you have to squeeze the soft-cooked beans from inside the pod to eat them.
But why is soybean prepared in the shell at all?
The bean pod is placed on the lips. The “seam” of the pod, i.e. the place where you would actually cut open the pod and take out the beans, is near your mouth.
When you press on the pod, the seam opens and the aromatic beans from inside the pod end up in your mouth.
This way you can enjoy not only the mild, nutty taste of the beans, but also the hearty, salty taste of the bean pod.
Benefits of Soybeans
Have you never tried soybeans and are still hesitant about adding the beans to your diet? Below you will find six good reasons why you should give the spicy side dish a chance.
Soybeans are versatile
One of the biggest advantages of soybeans is that you can use the beans in many different ways in the kitchen.
This applies to the traditional preparation in the pod because after you have boiled the beans in salted water, you can also toss them in a spice mixture of your choice to give them even more flavor.
Or you can buy the healthy beans without the shell and experiment with the legumes, for example in risotto, with pasta, or even as a plant-based spread.
Soybeans are prepared quickly
Do you receive surprise visitors but don’t have many snacks in the house? With a portion of frozen soybeans, you are on the safe side.
Simply add at least 50 grams of beans per person to boiling, heavily salted water and cook for 5 minutes until soft. With minimal effort, you get healthy, delicious, and exotic finger food.
This way you can impress even well-traveled guests.
Soybeans are healthy
Vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids make soybeans a real superfood. I t not only has a positive effect on your sense of taste, but also on your health.
Vitamins A, C, and E in particular help to strengthen your immune system so that you can better fight off pathogens and pollutants.
While calcium makes your bones more stable and resilient, potassium and magnesium strengthen muscles and nerves.
This increases your physical well-being and makes you feel mentally and physically fitter, more resilient, and more comfortable.
Soybeans can be combined with various dietary styles
Nutrition plays an important role for many people these days. Many food consumers value eating consciously and healthily.
While vegans avoid consuming animal products for ethical and ecological reasons, others opt for regional and seasonal food.
Others avoid grain or dairy products due to gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance.
Soybean is a valuable addition to the menu precisely because the healthy specialty can be combined with any dietary style.
No animal products are used in the preparation of soybeans.
Due to the low-calorie content and high protein content, you can also enjoy the beans if you are on a low-carb diet.
And because frozen soybeans is usually not processed, you can also integrate the beans into your clean eating menu.
Soybeans help you lose weight
One of the healthy effects of soybeans is that it can help you lose weight. Like all legumes, soybeans contain fiber.
These are food components with the ability to bind water. In the stomach, this ability causes the chyme to swell during digestion and gain a larger volume.
Fiber also extends the time that chyme stays in the stomach. Both lead to a long-lasting feeling of satiety after consuming fiber.
If you want to lose weight healthily in the long term, a soy snack with other fiber-rich foods such as kamut and barley grass is a sensible addition to your menu.
The fiber in soybeans also has a beneficial effect on the intestines and can help relieve constipation and cramps.
On the other hand, if you want to lose weight quickly, you should massively limit your consumption of carbohydrates and fat for a short period.
Soybean supports a sporty lifestyle
Sport is healthy, there is no doubt about that. Anyone who leads an active lifestyle would do well to support their body with the right nutrition.
No matter whether you practice gentle sports such as yoga, Pilates, or tennis or whether you push your limits in competitive sports.
A protein-rich diet can help you increase your performance. Due to its high protein content, soybean is a suitable addition to the menu.
In addition to the high protein content, the numerous minerals in the beans also help to improve your physical performance.
Anyone who does a lot of exercise runs the risk of secreting excessive amounts of minerals through excessive sweating. Soybean, on the other hand, contributes to an optimal supply of nutrients and helps you keep your body fit.
searc h says
Top-notch work!searc h
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This is a fantastic piece! Your thorough research and engaging writing style make it a must-read for anyone interested in the topic. I appreciate the practical tips and examples you included. Thank you for sharing such valuable insights.