Soy and Spinach Serve Up a Healthy Diet

Des Moines, IA – Soy and spinach are essential when it comes to a healthy, vegetarian diet, but they offer a great deal of benefits to nonvegetarians, as well. Both are packed with vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. October is not only National Spinach Month, but it’s also National Vegetarian Month. Now is a great time to make a change towards healthier eating with some delicious spinach and soy recipes.

Spinach is rich in calcium, vitamins A and C, fiber, folic acid and magnesium.  Soy is rich in protein; it’s the only plant protein complete with all essential amino acids. Studies have shown the isoflavones in soy may prevent breast cancer in women when consumed early in life, and spinach has been shown to fight off certain cancers as well.  Also, both soy and spinach are beneficial for diabetics because spinach helps stabilize blood sugar and soy protein does not stress the kidneys, since one major complication of diabetes is renal disease.

It’s very easy to incorporate this dynamic duo into a daily diet, and here are a few recipes to get started.

Soy-glazed Tofu with Spinach
Crisp Tofu with Mushroom and Spinach Sauce
Spinach and Fennel Soup with Soy Yogurt and Chive

Together, soy and spinach help keep a diet (vegetarian or not) rich with protein, fiber, calcium and vitamins to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, and prevent future health concerns. Incorporating these two foods into your diet will return positive results.  Since spinach and soy are both versatile, finding new ways to add them to your meals will be a snap.

The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa Soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to educate and inform healthcare professionals, consumers and the foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. The Council represents nearly all facets of the food industry, including soyfoods product manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, state and national soybean checkoff boards, food retailers and distributors, health and foodservice professionals. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.