Edamame a Day Can Keep you Healthy

Edamame is starting to be found in most markets, but you may not be familiar with what it is. You can usually find Edamame in the freezer section of your grocery store. Before you can eat them, the beans will ultimately have to be removed from the shell. Don't worry, the seeds are very easy to extract from the pod. Just squeese the beans out by placing pressure behind them with your thumb and first finger. Edamame is an immature (green) soybean.

Used in both Japanese cooking and vegetarian fair, there are a bunch of recipes to experiment with with your edamame. The reason for this is edamame has gained favor is because it is an outstanding source of protein. It is considered a complete protein meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids that are body’s need. Vegetarians love this bean because it is a complete protein and there are not many vegetable sources of complete protein.

Furthermore Edamame is a great source of iron. One cup of shelled beans contains 17 grams of protein, twenty percent of iron, and sixteen percent of vitamin C. Edamame is also contains high dietary fiber and has a low glycemic index number.

Edamame is easy to cook, and must be cooked (it is poisonous raw). There are a number of ways to do it. You can boil or steam the beans for starters. Boilding edamame can make a great salty snack.  Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water you use and you will impart a lot of flavor.

If you are allergic to soy, do not eat edamame. This bean is completely safe for those people who suffer from gluten allergies though. Edamame is a legume, so it is gluten free. If you don't want to have to worry about cooking edamame, it can sometimes be found dry roasted in the snack sections of the store.  These are great out of hand or sprinkled over salads.

Give green soy a try, it is a tasty nutricious option. Many bigger markets are starting to carry froze bags of in shell edamame. Health food stores may also carry different options when it comes to edamame and soy prodcuts, so check them out too.