Edamame the Snack of Healthy Champions

Mind is All

Edamame is a great bean that may not be familiar to you yet. If you wish to find edamame, check the freezer section. Edamame must be taken out of the pod if you purchased them in the pod. Don't worry, the seeds are very easy to extract from the pod. Just squeese the beans out by placing pressure behind them with your thumb and first finger. Edamame is an immature (green) soybean.

Edamame is frequently used in Japanese cooking but it has gained favor in vegan and vegetarian cooking. This bean is an excellent source of protein. Our bodies require certain amino acids to function.  Proteins that contain all of these amino acids are called complete.  This bean is a complete protein. Vegetarians love this bean because it is a complete protein and there are not many vegetable sources of complete protein.

Furthermore Edamame is a great source of iron. One cup of edamame beans contains 17 grams of protein, twenty percent of our iron, and sixteen percent of our vitamin C. High in dietary fiber and low on the glycemic index, these beans are definately healthy.

Edamame is easy to cook, and must be cooked (it is poisonous raw). There are any number of ways to cook edamame. If you prefer a simple option for cooking you could steam or boil the beans. Boiling Edamame in very salty water is a great way to add some extra flavor.

Avoid edamame if you are allergic to soy. Those who suffer from gluten allergies can happily eat this bean though. Edamame is a legume, so it is gluten free. You may be able to find dry roasted edamame if you look in the snack section of your local store.  You don't even need to worry about cooking it when you eat it this way.

If you have never tried edamame I would highly recommend giving it a try. Many bigger markets are starting to carry froze bags of in shell edamame. If you are not able to find it there, please check at your local health food or whole food store they may have some on hand.