The Fabaceae or Leguminosae family is one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants and consists of more than 700 genera and upwards of 19,500 species. Fabaceae is recognized for its economic importance and one of the most important species is soybeans (Glycine max). I had never seen so many soybean fields until I came to Ohio where a weekend drive in late spring might make you feel like you’re being engulfed by a sea of soybeans. Soybeans are a valuable oilseed crop and provide an excellent source of protein for human diets and livestock feed. Recently, I have been entertaining myself at the grocery store by keeping an eye out for food products made from soybean and have been surprised by the vast diversity of available products.

Many traditional Asian diets have long included soybean products such as tempeh, tofu and miso. I have to admit I’m not much of a tofu lover, but I can certainly chow down on a warm bowl of miso soup, or two. Soybeans have also been traditionally used to produce soymilk. Soymilk is one of the most popular soybean food products in the USA and the market is only projected to keep growing. Awareness of the health benefits provided by the non-dairy alternative have helped increase consumer interest.

Many people throughout the world have increased their interest in incorporating plant-based foods into their diets.  The major reasons for interest in increasing intake of vegetable foods is for nutritional and health benefits. The composition of soybean seeds make it one the most complete vegetable foods. The seed composition consists of an average of 20% oil, 40% protein, ~35% carbohydrates and many valuable nutraceutical compounds such as vitamins, essential minerals, and phytochemicals. The soy protein contains all essential amino acids making it a complete protein source and a source of high-quality protein.  

The constituents of soybean seeds may have something to do with the vast availability of soybean food products as the list of products available in the market continues to grow. Some of the soy products I have run across during my grocery store visits include plant-based meats such as veggie burgers (Impossible Foods), ground taco-burrito filler, sweet Italian sausage, and soy sausage links. If you are a fan of tofu the options seem to be unlimited. I have spotted tofu puddings, tofu hotdogs, tofu ice-cream, tofu sauces, and tofu for grilling. There is also soy flour that you can use in your next bread recipe. If you’re a snacker like myself I would recommend trying out roasted soynuts as a heathy alternative.

Written by TPS Fellow Josue Diaz