Soy Foods

Soy beans are a legume and are used to make foods and drinks including soy flour, soy grits, tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and soy milk, cheese and yoghurt. Like other legumes, soy beans and the foods made from them, can be included in a healthy diet.

Soy foods are nutritious for a variety of reasons:

• They are high in fibre and have a low glycaemic index (GI) which means the carbohydrate is released slowly into the bloodstream - this is very important for people with diabetes, preventing heart disease and can also make you feel full for longer.
• They are very low in saturated fat and contain no cholesterol, which means they help maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels and help to reduce heart disease.
• They have natural plant oestrogens (phytoestrogens) called isoflavones which is an antioxidant. Antioxidants can have important health effects in the body.

More research is being undertaken into the potential health benefits of soy, but we do know that in countries where many people eat soy (such as Japan) the rate of many lifestyle diseases is much lower than in western countries such as Australia and America.

Smart eating tips to include soy in your diet:

• Eat soy and linseed bread for toast and sandwiches - this also has a low GI and is high in fibre.
• Use marinated tofu in kebabs and stir-frys.
• Combine soy flour with wheat flour when baking.
• Add soybeans to casseroles and soups.
• Use soy milk, soy cheese and soy yoghurt, try to choose ones with added calcium if possible.
• Why not try some vegetarian meals based on legumes like soybeans

Care should taken when deciding to use soy supplements. As with all supplements we recommend seeing an Accredited Practising Dietitian before you start.

An Accredited Practising Dietitian can help you look at ways to include soy foods in your diet, and provide meal and recipe ideas.