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Vol. 4, No. 10
Soyfoods USA
November 16, 1999

Soyfoods USA ...a monthly e-mail newsletter designed to inform media sources, dietitians, and consumers about the latest soyfoods information. Underwritten by the Indiana Soybean Board. Details at end of issue.

CONTENTS
1. FDA Approves Soy Health Claim
2. Three New Soy Cookbooks This Month
3. Soy Coffee Tastes Pretty Good!
4. Soy Burgers Taste Pretty Good, Too!
5. Holiday Cooking with Soyfoods
6. Getting on and off our list

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FDA APPROVES SOY HEALTH CLAIM

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that foods containing soy protein may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Foods that meet the new FDA guidelines can now label their products with this claim.

The soy health claim is based on the FDA's determination that 25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol levels.
Over 40 scientific research studies have been conducted on the effects of soy protein and cardiovascular disease. More than 54 million people in the U.S. have high blood cholesterol (levels over 200), according to the American Heart Association.

To help consumers and others find the soyfoods that meet the requirements for this new health claim, a list of these products is published at our Web site <http://soyfoods.com>.

<A HREF="http://soyfoods.com/">U.S. Soyfoods Directory</A>

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THREE NEW SOY COOKBOOKS THIS MONTH

With all the excitement about the benefits of soy we can expect to see more new cookbooks using soy as the main ingredient. This month we received...

Soy! Soy! Soy!, by Jeanette Parsons Egan, a registered dietitian who has written Healthy High-Fiber Cooking, Picnics for All Seasons, Healthy Oat-Bran Cooking, The Book of Southern Cooking, and several other cookbooks. More than 120 recipes. $12.95, ISBN 1-55561-174-5, October 1999, 7 x 9, 208 pages. Published by Fisher Books.

<http://www.fisherbooks.com/>
<A HREF="http://www.fisherbooks.com/">Web site</A>

Tofu Mania, by Brita Housez, who hails from Canada. In her book she substitutes tofu for part of the cream, butter, oil, eggs and meat in breads, appetizers, soups, pasta sauces, chilis, desserts and other foods. More than 130 recipes. US $10.95, Canada $12.95, ISBN 1-894022-21-1, 1998, 6 x 9, 136 pages. Published by Centax Books, 306-525-2304

Beyond Low-Fat Baking, by Shirleen Sando, president, Living Health Foods. Sando incorporates soy into 100 low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-energy recipes for easy-to-make cakes, cookies, muffins, pies, breads and many other traditional American foods. $16.95, ISBN 1-881554-03-1, October 1999, 5.5 x 8, 288 pages. Published by Skyward Publishing, Inc.

<http://www.skywardpublishing.com>
<A HREF="http://www.skywardpublishing.com">Web site</A>

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SOY COFFEE TASTES PRETTY GOOD!

Several people responded positively to our note about soy coffee last month, and four manufacturers sent us samples of their soy coffee products. Although some of them tasted more like coffee than others, we found none of the products objectionable. If the idea of soy coffee sounds good to you, you can probably find one that you could drink regularly. Here are the companies:

Coffee Brake
877-883-5649

Coffee Not!
800-233-3668
<http://dixiediner.com/>
<A HREF="http://dixiediner.com/">Web site</A>

SonSoy Coffee
800-239-0876

Soyfee's Choice
718-391-8654
<http://soycoffee.com/>
<A HREF="http://www.soycoffee.com/">Web site</A>

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SOY BURGERS TASTE PRETTY GOOD, TOO!
Kim Galeaz, RD, Nutrition Consultant to the Indiana Soybean Board kimgaleaz@aol.com

The number one rule with soy burgers is: Try more than one brand to find one you really like. There are many soy burgers on the market today, and they vary in taste and mouth-feel. Even true-blue greasy hamburger fans will probably find at least one they deem acceptable. Some die-hard hamburger lovers may even come to like soy burgers if they dress them up a little with some pickle, onion, lettuce and a slice of tomato, along with a dollop or two of catsup, mustard and/or mayonnaise. (We are getting really decadent here, I know.)

Soy Burgers - Buying, Storing and Cooking Them

The number two rule with soy burgers is to make sure you are a savvy label reader. If you are choosing a soy burger because you want the health benefits of soy protein, make sure you spot _soy_ somewhere on the label. Many veggie burgers contain no soy and are made from vegetables and grains. If the front panel does not show _soy_ somewhere, then you will need to head to the ingredient list. Look for soy protein concentrate, textured soy protein or soy protein isolate listed there. Remember, ingredients are listed in order of weight, so choosing a burger with soy protein listed as the first or second ingredient means a higher soy protein content overall.

So how much soy protein will you find in a burger? That may be hard to determine without asking the manufacturer. The ones I looked at contain an average of 10 grams soy protein. Be aware, though, that the protein value listed on the Nutrition Facts label refers to total protein, not just soy protein. If the ingredient statement lists egg whites, cheese, barley, rice, oats and other grains, the total protein content will reflect the protein naturally found in these foods.

With the FDA approving the use of the soy protein health claim on soyfoods packages, manufacturers should soon begin to list soy protein content as well as total protein content. (A soyfood will have to contain at least 6.25 grams protein per serving to qualify for the health claim).

In addition to soy protein, flavorings are added to burgers, including spices, onions, garlic, cheese, etc. Some soy burgers also contain other grains like rice, wheat, wheat germ and oats. Vegetables such as red pepper, carrots, celery, mushrooms may be added as well. Gums, fibers and carrageenan provide added texture. Caramel coloring is usually added for a brown burger look.

You will find soy burgers in the freezer case, typically four patties packaged in a cardboard container weighing 9 to 11 ounces. Each pattie will weigh about 2.25 - 2.75 ounces, but they do not shrink when cooked, as do ground beef patties. The result is a nice size pattie that fills bread and buns well.

Cooking these burgers is a breeze since they are precooked. Choose between microwaving, grilling, stove top skillet cooking, oven cooking or even toaster cooking! Yes, one brand says to just pop the patties in the toaster and heat until warm in the center, about 4 or 5 minutes. Makes sense, as veggie burgers have no grease drippings while cooking.

Microwaving is definitely the fastest method - most burgers take 1 to 3 minutes to cook. But my experience is these burgers can dry out quickly when microwaved. Keep them covered and eat immediately if you do microwave.

Outdoor grilling, indoor grilling machines and stove top skillet cooking really work best for soy burgers. Just remember to lightly coat cooking surfaces with a vegetable spray - these burgers will stick since they contain little or no fat. And even though many of us (myself included) cook foods without ever reading the package directions, soy burgers often require more attention, in part because they cook so quickly. The manufacturer will have the best suggestions for cooking soy burgers properly, but I encourage you to be creative with added sauces, seasonings and other flavor enhancers.

Soy Burger Nutrition

Generally speaking, soy burgers are:

_ Often fat-free! Ranges of fat for several popular brands are 0 to 7 grams. All soy burgers contain much less than ground beef burgers, which may contain 12 to 20 grams for the same size pattie.
_ Cholesterol-free (since they are meatless).
_ Virtually saturated fat-free: most have 0 or 1 gram saturated fat.
_ A terrific source of soy protein. Just figure 10 grams soy protein as the average amount per burger (ranges are from 7 to 13 grams).
_ Moderate sodium. Although regular meat is naturally very low sodium, soy burgers do not contain an excessive amount of dietary sodium (usually between 250 to 400 mg per burger).
_ A source of dietary fiber ranging from 2 to 7 grams. Since meat has no fiber, soy burgers are a great way to boost dietary fiber.
_ A great way to add soy protein to your diet to receive the disease - fighting health benefits.

The Money Issue

At first glance, soy burgers might seem expensive compared to hamburger. Package prices range from $3.29 to $4.69. That makes each burger about 82 cents to $1.17 each. But one pound of ground round or sirloin (the most lean cuts for burgers ) at $2.99 yields four 75 cent hamburgers. So there is little difference in price between soy burgers and hamburgers.

Not Your Mother's Soy Burger

We have come a long way since the days of cardboard-like soy burgers of old dished out to unsuspecting school children in slow moving cafeteria lines. Today's soy burgers come very close to offering the same delicious taste and mouth-feel of the real stuff, plus they offer additional health benefits. Soy burgers are one of the easiest ways to get healthy dose of soy protein, so step up to the plate and see if you can give your family a home run this weekend.

HOLIDAY COOKING WITH SOYFOODS

We decided there is no need to provide recipes for soy burgers since everyone probably has their own special way of preparing burgers, so we here are some ideas to incorporate soy into holiday meals. Enjoy!

Beverages

_ Silk Eggnog by White Wave in place of regular eggnog
_ Smoothies made with vanilla, chocolate or plain soymilk
_ Cup of hot chocolate made with chocolate or vanilla soymilk

Desserts

_ Pumpkin Pie with tofu
<http://soyfoods.com/recipes/PumpkinPie.html>
<A HREF="http://soyfoods.com/recipes/PumpkinPie.html">Recipe at Web site</A>

_ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
<http://soyfoods.com/recipes/PumpkinCream.html>
<A HREF="http://soyfoods.com/recipes/PumpkinCream.html">Recipe at Web site</A>

Jello Salads

_ Soy cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese
_ Crushed soynuts on top of salads instead of walnuts or pecans

Turkey Gravy

_ A little soymilk and soy flour in gravy along with regular all purpose flour

Mashed Potatoes

_ Soymilk and soy cream cheese along with salt, pepper and margarine or butter

Stuffing

_ Sausage flavored soy crumbles in stuffing mixture

Sweet Potatoes

_ Soynuts crushed over top for praline-like topping

Green Bean Casserole

_ Green Soybeans along with French Cut Green Beans
_ Crushed Soynuts along with french onions on topping

Corn Pudding

_ Soymilk in corn mixture

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To subscribe or unsubscribe from Soyfoods USA, please go to the subscription form at the U.S. Soyfoods Directory Web site.

<http://soyfoods.com/newsletter/SubscribeSUSA.html>

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Permission is granted to reprint this information, as long as credit is given to the Indiana Soybean Board <http://indianasoybeanboard.com>

Send comments or requests for information about Soyfoods USA to the editor, Roger Stevens, <info@soyfoods.com>

Back issues available at <http://www.soyfoods.com/newsletter/old/OldSUSA.html>

More information about soyfoods can be found at the U.S. Soyfoods Directory <http://soyfoods.com>.

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Copyright 1999
Indiana Soybean Board