I mentioned elsewhere that soybeans have all the essential
proteins and fats we need for health. Also I have read that
a piece of land producing soybeans for direct consumption
can support at least 20 times as many people as the same
land producing meat by feeding livestock.
I have applied this knowledge by substituting soybeans or
tofu or tempeh for about half the meat I formerly used in
such dishes as stews, meat and eggs, and so forth.
If you are serious about losing weight, but don’t want to
feel hunger, put a lot of unprocessed vegetables and fruits
into your menus, and replace a third to a half of your four
legged meat items with traditional soy foods. Also, cut out
all refined sugars, limit alcohols, be sure to eat whole
grain foods. And make a very rude noise at anyone who says
to eat “low carb”.
Lets look at those suggestions in terms of money. At retail
stores, soybeans are now around US $1 per pound, and beef
cuts range from about US $2 to US $15 per pound.
Another comparison is that soy foods have zero saturated
fats, but beef cuts frequently often run from 10 to 50
percent saturated fat.
Center for Science in the Public Interest, with reports
on-line at www.cspinet.org, tells us “USDA allows ground
beef labels to make claims that would be illegal on other
foods.” “Ground beef accounts for 45 percent of the beef
sold in the U.S. and it adds more fat — and more artery
clogging saturated fat — to the average American’s diet
than any other single food.” “The USDA allows no more than
10 percent fat by weight in most foods that are labeled
‘lean.’ But the USDA allows ground beef that is up to 22.5
percent fat to be called ‘lean.’
I recently did the following junior science experiment. I
placed a pound of soybeans in a glass dish with more than an
equal amount of water. After letting them soak awhile, I had
to add more water to cover. This happened again, so I had to
transfer all to a larger pot. About an hour of soaking
seemed to be enough, so I added enough water to cover the
beans about an inch, placed the pot on a stove burner set to
medium heat. When the pot started to boil over, I reduced
heat to the minimum setting. After a cooking time of about
90 minutes, I withdrew a small bowl of the beans. I had
added nothing else to the pot, so I could later play with
flavorings a cupful at a time.
In retrospect, I probably should have used a pot about four
times the size of the dry soybeans, then added about two
volumes of water.
My first such meal consisted of about 2 cupfuls of beans,
various condiments, two slices of whole wheat bread with a
light smear of SmartBalance-TM butter substitute (no trans
fats), some raw carrots, and water to drink. With no
condiments, the bean taste is rather bland, so be willing
to try various spices, herb blends, diced garlic and/or
onion, pepper, a spoonful of real soy sauce, or whatever.
Don’t add straight salt unless you sweat a lot. And you
might use some lean ground beef as a flavoring, rather than
the main dish.
By the way, I had no after effects that people sometimes
experience from eating other kinds of beans. No cramps, gas,
heartburn, and also no hunger.
I would welcome soybean recipes that readers invent. Tempeh
starts out with more flavor than plain soybeans, but must be
purchased or made with controlled fermentation. Whole
soybeans can be used right out of the bag.
Psst. Hey buddy. Wanna save a buck? Wanna save your life?
Then use your brains when you select your menus!
** Diet with FACTS, not MYTHS. **
