Back To School With Soy

Parents probably wouldn’t have guessed, but kids like soyfoods. A Montgomery Country, Maryland study finds middle-school students enjoy soyfoods as much as meat counterparts. The trick—replacing foods kids already enjoy with tasty and nutritious soyfoods.

A plate waste study, funded by the United Soybean Board, took popular menu items, including macaroni & cheese, burgers, chicken nuggets, and chicken Caesar salad, and replaced them with soyfoods. Soy pasta was used in the macaroni and cheese, soy burgers and a spicy black bean burger replaced meat burgers, veggie chik’n nuggets substituted for chicken nuggets, and veggie chik’n was used in the Caesar salad. Kids ate just as much of the soyfoods as they did of traditional menu items—indicating a high acceptability of soyfoods. The study was such a success, that Montgomery County School Food Service has replaced a couple of its menu items with soyfoods despite slightly higher costs.

Soy: Complete Nutrition

Soyfoods are a complete source of protein with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals needed for growth and development. Soyfoods are also low in fat, calories, saturated fat and are cholesterol free—making them a healthy option. Studies have shown that eating soy at a young age may improve athletic performance, help manage diabetes, and may decrease risk of breast cancer. Picky kids and children with peanut and dairy allergies can choose from a wide variety of soy products—soy burgers, dairy free yogurts and frozen desserts, soy nut butter, edamame, soymilk, and more!

Try Soy at Home

Do your own study on soyfoods at home! Replace your children’s favorite foods with nutritious soyfoods and see if they notice the difference. Try fun soyfoods, like edamame, that turn meal time into playtime. Help your family gain health with soyfoods at home!

For more information on soyfoods visit www.soyfoods.org and to help you get started, try 25 Ways to Enjoy Soyfoods.

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The Soyfoods Association of North America is a non-profit trade association that has been promoting consumption of soyfoods in the diet since 1978. SANA 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.