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Edmame are often steamed or boiled and served with some coarse salt on top.
There are some foods we should probably make a point to include in our diets more often. Edamame is one of those foods
It is an excellent source of fiber, it has very little saturated fat, it's low in sodium, and it has a good amount of high-quality protein per serving.
Edamame is a variety of soybean that is picked when it is green and is consumed boiled or steamed, often with some coarse salt sprinkled on top. It's sweeter and nuttier than the common field soybeans raised for animal feed or soybean oil production.
Because it is so high in fiber, eating edamame helps you feel full longer, so you often eat less, helping to manage weight.
Most Americans get only about half of the 25 to 35 grams of fiber needed daily. Edamame, with about 8 grams of fiber per cup, can help make up the deficit.
Consuming more fiber daily can also help to lower insulin resistance in folks with blood sugar problems, making it easier for them to keep blood sugar under control.
In addition to its fiber component, soy has certain phytonutrients, known as isoflavones, which may help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. More than 40 scientific studies have shown a reduction in this "bad" cholesterol when study recipients increased soy in their diets. One study showed volunteers who consumed 25 grams of soy protein per day reduced both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. One cup of edamame provides 17 grams of protein.
Those same isoflavones that help lower LDL cholesterol may also help prevent certain forms of cancer, although the scientific data is less clear about this.
Read more:
Megan Murphy: Nutritious edamame also quite tasty
