Legumes and Soy

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Legumes

• Legumes include beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and soybeans.

• A serving size is ½ cup canned or cooked or 1/3 cup mashed legumes.

• A healthy diet includes one to three servings of legumes per day.

• Legumes are high in fiber resulting in a lower glycemic index, helping you stay full longer by slowly increasing blood glucose levels.

Soy

• Soy is a special type of legume because it is a complete protein.

• A serving size is ½ cup cooked edamame or soybeans, one cup soy milk or soy yogurt, ½ cup tempeh or tofu.

• A healthy diet contains one to two servings of soy per day.

• Look for whole-soy based foods such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy beans, soy milk and soy yogurt.

• Avoid processed derivatives such as soy protein concentrates, powders and supplements, which contain higher levels of isolated soy isoflavones that can act like estrogen in our bodies.

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