10 Ways to Add More Soy to Your Diet

Soy foods are widely available, and great for your health. Soy is high in protein, helps lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, and may help with menopause symptoms. The soy isoflavone genistein can act like weak estrogens, and may help prevent breast cancer, particularly when consumed during pre-puberty, when breast tissues are being developed. With all those benefits, you might want to get some of those soy-base health benefits for yourself and your family. Here are five easy ways to start incorporating
soy in your diet.

From:About.com via HealthCastle.com Soy-based foods are often neglected in the North American diet, but they shouldn't be! Soy is a heart friendly food because it can help to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. On top of that, eating soy foods is a great way to build bone health and has been show to help prevent cancer, particularly prostate ancer. With so many great nutritional features, there is no reason to keep soy off the dinner table. 

Adding More Soy to Your Diet

Health experts recommend a diet with 25 grams of daily soy protein intake to reap the health benefits (one glass of soymilk contains ~ 8 g). Here are 10 ways you can include more soy in your diet:

1. Edamame: You can find edamame beans in the frozen foods aisle. Simply pour some edamame into a bowl with water and microwave until hot. Drain the water and sprinkle the edamame with salt for a quick, healthy snack.
2. Soy nut butter: Found right next to the other nut butters, this tasty spread is great on toast and makes for a change at breakfast.
3. Soy milk: Fat-free, regular, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate – there are so many varieties of soy milk to try! Use soy milk with cereal, in baking, and to make pancakes. Or simply drink as a healthy snack or beverage.
4. Soy nuts: Look for soy nuts where other nuts are sold, or in the Asian cuisine section of the grocery store. Use them when baking cookies, bars, and loafs - or as a healthy addition to mixed nuts.
5. Soy cheese: You can find soy cheese in either the dairy aisle or the vegetable section (with the salad dressing) of the grocery store. Soy cheese can be cheddar or mozzarella flavored. Use soy cheese as a topping on salad, when making lasagna, or as part of a sandwich.
6. Soy cereal: You won't find soy cereal in the cereal aisle. Instead, look for it in the health foods section of the grocery store. Eat soy cereals as an alternative to high-calorie, high-sugar cereals.
7. Soy ice cream: Soy ice cream comes in many delicious flavors including strawberry, butterscotch, and almond vanilla. Top soy ice cream with fruit to make a healthy dessert.
8. Soft tofu: Because of its thick and creamy texture, soft tofu can be used in a many different ways. Salad dressings, sauces, deserts, and smoothies can all be made using soft tofu.
9. Hard tofu: Because of its firmer consistency, hard tofu is used more often in dishes where it will retain its shape. Try adding hard tofu to stir fries, salads, soups, pasta, or any other dish where it will absorb the flavor of the other foods.
10. Soy meats: Try soy burgers or soy veggie dogs as a healthy alternative the next time you barbeque. You can find soy burgers in the frozen food section, and soy veggie dogs with the meat hot dogs. The burgers come in both beef and chicken flavors, while the veggie dogs can be regular or spicy Italian style.

The Bottom Line

Soy foods are a great substitute for high-fat and high-calorie meats and dairy. With so many varieties available in your grocery store, you will always find the soy products you like. Always check the labels on foods and beverages to see if they contain soy. If the ingredient list includes soy protein or soybeans, you have found what you are looking for.

22 Healthy Bites - Beyond Snack Packs

Don't waste your money on those overpriced "100 Calorie" snacks that often times are still loaded with sugar and chemicals and often extremely high in sodium. Sorry charlie but "Whole Foods" do not come in snack packs.  If you have to go for the "Prepackaged food" like we all do sometimes here's a link to help you decide some of the best.

Now that said if you really want to "Snack Healthy" here is some suggeestions from WebMD

"Look for snacks that contain protein with healthy carbohydrates and fats, and eat your snacks slowly so they fill you up,"

Here are 22 portable and healthy snacks that make the list of dietitian's favorites:

• Half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread
• Low-sugar, whole-grain granola bars that have at least 3 grams of fiber
• Whole-grain crackers or whole-wheat tortilla with hummus or nut butter
• A handful of unsalted or lightly salted dry-roasted nuts
• Individual unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts
• Small apple with 2 teaspoons peanut butter or 1 ounce low-fat cheese
• Ants on a log -- celery with nut butter, topped with raisins or other dried fruit
• Half of a single-serving string cheese with a small piece of fruit or a few whole-grain crackers
• 4-ounces to 6-ounces of low-fat yogurt or yogurt treat
• High-fiber dry cereal with a few nuts or seeds and dried fruit (put this in a baggie for a make-your-own snack pack)
• Individual packs of carrots, celery sticks, or apple slices, with a protein source like a tablespoon of nuts, nut butter, or low-fat cheese
• Pretzels and low-fat cheese
• Whole-wheat cracker sandwiches made with natural nut butters
• 1 ounce of lean meat and a few whole-grain crackers
• 3 ounces low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese and a few whole-grain crackers
• 1 whole graham cracker and 1 teaspoon nut butter
• Raw vegetables with 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
• 100-calorie pack of low-fat popcorn rich in whole grains and fiber
• Handful of tortilla chips and salsa
• 100-calorie ice cream treats
• "Skinny" latte (made with low-fat or skim milk)
• Small bowl of whole-grain cereal with skim milk or low-fat yogurt

On a side not you can find "Healthy Filling Foods" that don't pack on the pounds check out this slide show at WebMd.

12 Organic or Pesticide-Free Foods Worth Buying (well.......maybe)

From : SquawkFox.com 

Organic and pesticide-free foods are not cheap.
They can cost double the price of conventionally grown foods and can make you wonder if paying the price for fewer pesticides or better farming practices is worth it.

Image From:
http://www.answer-my-health-question.
info/advantages-of-organic-food.html

It’s hard to ignore the increased availability of organic food on the grocery shelves these days. Just walk into your local produce store to see that foods boasting the “organic” label are quickly taking over the shelves with bright marketing campaigns, pretty green logos, and fat price margins. So it’s fair to wonder if you get what you pay for considering the added premium for pesticide-free and organically grown foods. The answer isn’t simple. Sorry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that even after you vigorously wash certain fruits and vegetables, they still contain much higher levels of pesticide residue than others because they absorb and retain these chemicals. I’d love to know if using special produce cleansing soaps helps to remove these chemicals, but I’m no scientist and I doubt that an environmentally-friendly organic liquid soap can remove all pesticide residue.

So in some cases, if you’ve got some extra dollars in your pocket, it could make sense to opt for certain organic foods because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides, even after washing. Here are 12 fruits or vegetables worth buying to decrease your exposure to pesticides:

12 Organic Foods Worth Buying

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

If you’re looking to save on your grocery bill, then consider passing on the organic versions of these 12 fruits and vegetables since they tend not to absorb or retain as many pesticide residues as other produce.

12 Organic Foods Not Worth Buying

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papaya
• Peas
• Pineapples

Knowing when to splurge on organic food and when to save on conventionally grown produce is an excellent (and simple) shopping tactic for staying on budget at the grocery store (shopping with the Printable Grocery Shopping List (above)  helps too!) Generally, in some cases, paying double for certain organic foods may be worth the added cost if you’re looking to limit your exposure to pesticides. In my case I always try my best to buy what’s local, in season, and pesticide-free.