Celebrate
SoyFoods Month
by Marisa Snyder
It’s that time of
year again! Softball games, spring breaks and
Soyfoods Month. And from family dinners to gourmet
feasts, it’s easy to integrate foods made from soy
into your lifestyle.
Soyfoods Month is a
month-long awareness campaign promoting the
advantages of incorporating soy into the diet. The
event, coordinated by the Soyfoods Association of
North America (SANA), is designated as a time to
provide information on the soyfoods industry. The
United Soybean Board and several state soybean
boards, along with nutritionists, food scientists
and food companies are members of SANA, a non-profit
organization promoting soyfoods consumption.
Perhaps the growing
amount of soyfoods available in your local
supermarket correlates to the increased acceptance
of soy among Americans. According to the recent
“Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition” study,
seventy-four percent of U.S. consumers perceive soy
products as healthy. In fact, more females than
males (forty-six versus thirty-five percent) believe
that soy may provide a healthy addition to their
diet.
In addition, more and
more recipes are being developed that utilize
traditional soy ingredients, such as soy flour, soy
protein and soybean oil.
The popularity of
soyfoods also can be traced to the Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA) health claim on soy
protein—in 1999, the FDA announced that foods
containing soy protein may reduce the risk of
developing coronary heart disease. The FDA
recommends integrating four servings of at least
6.25 grams of soy protein into your daily diet.
The health benefits that
result from including soy into your diet are
abundant. Research continues to increase scientific
knowledge specifically on soy’s effect on human
health conditions, including prostate cancer,
coronary heart disease and osteoporosis.
Approximately forty-three percent of consumers are
already aware of these specific health benefits of
soy and the number is growing, according to the
study.
So, what can you do to
celebrate Soyfoods Month? Take a trip to the local
supermarket’s heath foods aisle and familiarize
yourself on the various soy products available.
Substitute a soy-based entrée the next time your
family gets together at the table, or grab some
soynuts for a quick snack on your way out the door.
Included in this month’s newsletter are some recipes
to try.
To learn more about
soyfoods and where the market is heading, please
visit
www.talksoy.com,
www.soyfoods.com, and
www.soyfoods.org.
Marisa Snyder is a public relations account
executive in St. Louis. Her main role is as
communications project manager for the United
Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff.
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