Word of the Day (and a Healthy Snack!): Edamame

Edamame is the word used for fresh soybeans. You can find edamame sold in their pods or out of the pod. You can usually find them in the frozen food section in traditional or "steam-in-the-bag" forms. I love the steam-in-the-bag variety because they are so fuss-free, but if you find the kind you need to boil, it only takes about five minute.

"But...How do I eat that?" I think this is the quesiton that causes many people to shy away from edamame. If you buy the peeled variety, you can use the protein-packed beans in salads or soups or pretty much any other dish as you would another type of bean. The taste is slightly sweet, but it works in a lot of dishes to up the protein count. You can find a great recipe at this website - where I also found the picture above - for a Three-bean Salad using edamame.

My favorite way to eat edamame however is straight out of the pod as a snack. Just steam or boil your edamame, sprinkle a little salt on the pods, and put a pod in your mouh. You your lips to squeeze the beans out of the pods. YUM! And, a half cup has about 15 grams of protein!

Enjoy!

Kristy