I was invited to the Northern Dakota Fargo for a tour of food and farm that hosted The The Soy Council of North Dakota To find out more about soy and soy. We paid to write this post, but the data presented here can be monitored and connected where possible. The overall thoughts are mine.
Miles and miles of soybean
I had the opportunity to visit dozens of large farms in the United States and the work that farmers never cease to surprise me.
North Dakota is the number four in US soy production. In 2024 6.6 million acres of soybeans were planted and 6.55 million acres were collected. And, did you know that nearly 99% of US farms are family farms?
Me in a scope of soy ready for harvest.
According to USDA, family farms are responsible for 89% of agricultural production. Often a family of fourth or fifth generation performs today’s farms. During the tour, we had the honor of visiting one of these family farms. Jim ThompsonThe farm was in his family for four generations. Jim grows soy, corn, wheat and dry edible beans (this season was unlucky for dry beans, as a June tornado extinguished his crops.
You have probably seen soy plants in fields along the road during your road trip. Soy plants are dense and green during the growing season. By the end of summer the soy pods are formed and the leaves of the plants begin to yellow, dry and become brown. This is when they are ready to harvest.
During our tour, we had the opportunity to lead to the combination and harvest of Thompson and some soy rows. The production and mechanical side of agriculture always surprises me. These modern tractors use GPS to run an automatic pilot to harvest precision of any cultivation for which they are designed. They even have systems on the boat that calculate the performance in all fields.
Soy
What are the soybees used for?
Eighty percent of soy soybeans are consumed by animals, including humans. The remaining 20 % is processing oil (for biofuels, industrial products and sophisticated cooking oil). A lot of soy cultivation goes towards animal nutrition (97% of soy that produced animal feed-foods, cattle, chickens and other poultry, pigs, seafood with aquaculture and pets). Soy protein vegetable foods and soy milk for humans make up the remaining 3%.
Soys grow in lobes. The pods are not edible, but the beans inside are full of nutrition. Most of the soy cultivated in the US is yellow soy (a creamy yellow color). Other types of soy crops include green, black, white and red soy. Some examples of food made from whole soybeans include: roasted soy, soy, tofu, edamame and fermented soybeans (Miso, Natto, soy sauce, tempeh). Many of them are everyday foods in Asian cultures. Edamame is soy that is collected when the beans are still green.
How to integrate soybean
There are many easy ways to include soy in the diet. You can find many healthy convenient plants based on plants (including soy) in the case of freezing. Soy protein is used in protein bars and you can find soy protein texture in the grocery store. You can also add soy to desserts (soy milk or silk tofu). We tried a delicious oatmeal This used texture protein (TVP), which gave it a tasty crisis – I definitely bake them soon.
Two of my favorite soy food to cook are Tofu and Edamame. (Stay tuned for a video from the tour and even make tofu at home if you want to). Edamame shell is extremely convenient to keep in my freezer. It is easy to add to cups or salads so that a simple way is to incorporate soy into my diet. For two servings, simply add a cup of frozen edamame to a small bowl of microwave. Add a 1/4 cup of water and microwave for 1-2 minutes, then drain and add salads or other mixed dishes.
Healthy processed foods
You may have heard or read about processed foods and “extremely processed” foods and how they can be related to your health. Popular soybeans such as tofu and soy fit the “extremely processing” category according to NovevaAlthough nutritious (soy is the best alternative based on plants in cow’s milk from the diet).
Often simplified statements about “extremely processed foods” suggest that they are all unhealthy. However, this is simply not always true. In fact, there are several scientific data that suggest that these foods are actually promotion. For example, research shows that the risk of heart disease decreases when saturated fats are replaced by unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oil.
Omnivores can also add soy to diet
I think another important misconception of soybeans is the idea that it is only for vegetarians or vegans. No! The acquisition of soy health benefits is not limited to vegetarians. The omnivores can also add them to their diet, Just parallel to animal foods.
Studies on the positive benefits of soybean ranges from Reduce the risk of breast cancer; Heart health. Adding soy to your diet can even reduce wrinkles!
- Protection from heart disease: Despite the many myths about seed oils you can see about the food of social media, soybean oil has been awarded health claims for its potential role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Soy provides both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to the diet. Research shows that when saturated fats are replaced by vegetable oils, blood lipid profiles improve.
- A hot flash hero: Only two servings of soy a day (such as a cup of soy or 1/2 cup tofu or edamame) provide the quantity of isoflavons that are shown to reduce the frequency and severity of the hot flash.
- Muscle building: Studies have shown that people involved in resistance training exercises have had power profits and increasing muscle mass, similar to the profits observed in the consumption of animal proteins (I even mean even Arnold It has given the advantages of vegetable protein).
With all these good reasons to add soy to your diet, you can also try a new recipe! Try my tofu mix with green beans and find more soy recipes here.
