WASHINGTON, March 31, 2015
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whether you're a flexitarian,
someone who goes meatless on Mondays, a vegan before 6 p.m. (like author Mark
Bittman suggests), a full-fledged vegan or vegetarian, or
someone who just wants to switch it up at the dinner table, April
is your "swapportunity" to learn more about soyfoods. To celebrate
April's National Soyfoods Month, the Soyfoods Association of
North America is showing consumers
how to add more plant-based protein to their diets with some simple
swaps.
"As Americans look to add more plant-based foods and plant-based
proteins to their diets, they're adding more and more soyfoods and
foods with soy," said Nancy Chapman,
executive director of Soyfoods Association of North America. "Providing consumers with
'swapportunities' to replace ingredients with soy-based foods will
allow them to get high-quality, heart-healthy plant protein while
still enjoying the great flavors of their favorite foods."
Soy is the only plant protein considered "complete." In other
words, like animal protein, soy protein contains all nine essential
amino acids in the ratios needed for health and well-being. Soy
protein may reduce the risk of heart disease as part of a diet low
in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Using cost-effective soy in your favorite recipes may help
reduce calories, cholesterol and saturated fat while adding iron,
fiber, calcium, magnesium and zinc in your diet.
Soybeans are also more environmentally sustainable than other
sources of protein. Soy-based foods deliver the higher protein per
amounts of fossil energy, water use and land resource inputs than
animal-derived proteins. Soybeans offer 941 pounds of protein per
acre of land, compared to eggs, another efficient land user, which
produce only 212 pounds of protein per acre.
From breakfast to dinner, beverages to desserts, soyfoods can
capture the cook's imagination. With a flavor that blends well in
many dishes, soyfoods easily swap for other items in consumers'
favorite recipes or help them create entirely new recipes that will
appeal to every taste bud in the family.
Some simple #soyswaps consumers will want to explore
include:
- Make a smoothie with soymilk, the only plant-based dairy
alternative with an average of 7g of protein per serving.
- Choose a soy-based veggie burger instead of a hamburger
and cut the fat in half.
- Try marinated tofu in your next stir fry instead of beef
steak and save about 6g saturated fat and 53mg cholesterol per
serving.
- Swap the ground meat in chili dishes or lasagna with soy
crumbles – or make them yourself by pressing firm tofu to
remove water, then crumbling with soy sauce, soy or peanut butter,
cumin, garlic and chili powder.
- Sprinkle edamame on a salad instead of nuts or croutons
for a healthy crunch.
- Soy nut butter can replace the P in PB&J sandwiches
to boost protein and eliminate peanut allergy concerns. Select
chocolate soy butter in place of a chocolate hazelnut spread to
double the protein and drop two-thirds of the sugar.
- Fill a pita pocket with soy-based deli slices and
veggies instead of cold cuts for a high protein, no cholesterol
lunch.
- Try plain cultured soymilk "yogurt" in dips, toppings
and garnishes or as an ingredient in baked goods.
- Grab a soy-based nutrition bar to curb hunger pangs
while on the go.
- Swap a 1oz snack bag potato chips or 1oz peanuts with 1oz of
roasted soy nuts and save about 25- 40 calories and 2-3 g
saturated fat.
- Save about 4g of saturated fat by swapping one serving of ice
cream with a serving of a frozen soy dessert.
Throughout the month of April, soyfood swaps will be promoted in
supermarkets across the U.S. via cooking demonstrations, coupons,
in-store displays and discounts, and recipes. The Soyfoods
Association of North America will
also be encouraging consumers to share their #soyswaps online
through their own and the associations' social media channels.
The versatility of soyfoods is evident in the brands and
organizations that sponsor National Soyfoods Month. Industry
partners include: Kellogg's MorningStar Farms veggie
burgers and meat alternatives; Hain Celestial's
WESTSOY soymilk and Yves Veggie Cuisine meatless
crumbles; House Foods tofu; Silk soymilk;
SOYJOY whole soy and fruit bars; Sunrich Naturals
edamame; Wildwood SprouTofu baked tofu; Don't Go Nuts
soy butter; TofuXpress tofu press; DuPont Nutrition &
Wellness; and the United Soybean Board, Illinois
Soybean Association, Maryland Soybean Board, and
Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.
For more information about April's National Soyfoods Month,
including cooking tips, nutrition information and endless
possibilities for recipes, please visit soyfoodsmonth.org, follow
@socialSANA on Twitter, and like
facebook.com/SoyfoodsAssociation.
About Soyfoods Association of North
America
The Soyfoods Association of North America is a non-profit trade
association that has been promoting consumption of soy-based foods
and beverage since 1978. The Soyfoods Association is committed to
encouraging sustainability, integrity and growth in the soyfoods
industry by promoting the benefits and consumption of soy-based
foods and ingredients in diets. More information is available
at www.soyfoods.org.
The Soyfoods Association of North
America
1050 17th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 659-3520
press@soyfoods.org
Contact: Andrea Albersheim
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