Women24 - SIMPLE, SUPER SOY

SA's ultimate restaurant guide...

Need to impress a hot date? We've rounded up the best spots in South Africa...

Beauty reviews: The men's range

We've decided to let our partners test a few manly products. Here's what they had to say...

Book Club | Astrology | News |

Celeb Gossip | Soapbox | Hotties | Series Addicts |

Test Yourself |

your voice, every day

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Health24 and Women24 show you how... brought to you by Natrodale.

Tools |

SIMPLE, SUPER SOY

PRINT |

EMAIL

Soya bean products are healthy, easily digestible, low in kilojoules, and yes, versatile. Here are some fascinating facts and a dollop of inspiration that will allow the word “delicious” to creep in among the health banners.

Article: JULETA HIRNER from SHAPE
Image: super soy

The soya bean family is famous for phytoestrogens. These are plant chemicals very similar in structure to the body’s own oestrogens.

The most active of them are isoflavones such as genistein, found in soya; and lignins,found in rye and linseed.

The reason phytoestrogens are so exciting?

They decrease total cholesterol, and also reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Women start to lose bone mass after menopause, when oestrogen levels drop. It’s the phytoestrogens in our diets that help sustain levels, or pump them up if they’re depleted.

During menopause, the presence of soya’s natural fake oestrogens smoothes out the body’s hit-and-miss hormone release.

They help prevent breast cancer. Japanese (big eaters of soya and miso) and Finnish (rye eaters) women don’t have the scary breast cancer statistics other developed communities do.

What to do with soya products:

Soya burgers, sausages and schnitzels
The trick is to not overcook pre-made soya products. Bump up the flavour with tomatoes, chutney, capers, lemon, low-fat mayo or sweet chilli sauce; or mix a little soya sauce with some honey, garlic, ginger and chilli.

Tempeh
A chunky tender soya bean cake. Dip slices or blocks into good quality soya sauce, brush with oil and grill or brown in a non-stick pan. Add to soups, casseroles and stir fries, or eat as nibbles with wasabi-soya mayonnaise. Keep your tempeh blocks well chilled to avoid discoloration. I keep it in the freezer and slice off bits as needed.

Tofu
Tofu is the king of traditional soya products. It generally comes in soft and firm varieties. Use the soft “silken tofu”, sometimes called firm soya bean curd, for sauces and dips; and marinate and fry them firm. Remember that tofu takes on the flavour of whatever you cook or marinate it in. I kick-start tofu cubes with a dousing of soya sauce, chilli, chopped garlic, ginger and sesame seeds. Lightly toss tofu cubes in rice or potato flour and fry in a lick of sesame oil. They get a chewy shell with a marshmallowy inside. You can also dip it into your favourite BBQ sauce and grill until bubbly and crisp. Add to salad and stir-fries, or marinate and serve with drinks.

Miso
Miso is a rich, smooth paste made from cooked and vat-aged soya beans. Use miso to flavour soups, sauces, dressings, marinades and pates.

New gourmet products

Get adventurous. Try soya ice cream and yoghurt for your phytoestrogen intake. Local soya innovator, Linda Nessworthy from Cape Town’s Taste of Japan, has imported extensive soya processing machines, and is churning out deliciously creamy soya mayonnaise – plain or flavoured with wasabi, and with a fat content of 12%. She also makes very good cream cheese, and her marinated tofu, cut up into salad or tossed into a bowl of broth, is heavenly. We’ll soon be seeing tofu burgers, a spicy mayo and various dips.