The Mighty Soybean Shines as Consumers Switch to Plant Proteins

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- April is the month to learn how soyfoods can fit into your daily lifestyle. To celebrate April's National Soyfoods Month, the Soyfoods Association of North America is showing consumers how versatile the mighty soybean is – packed with high quality protein and produced in an earth-friendly way. Recently, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emerged and soy-based foods and beverages appear on the cover and throughout the recommended food groups, healthy eating patterns, and simple shifts to more plant-based proteins.

"All plant proteins are not created equally. It's important for consumers to understand the differences between them as more products hit the grocery store shelves," said Nancy Chapman MPH, RD, executive director of the Soyfoods Association of North America. "Soy is the only plant protein that is highly digestible and comparable to beef, milk, fish and egg protein in terms of protein quality.[i] Like animal protein, a complete protein has all nine essential amino acids in the ratios needed for human growth and health."

Other benefits of the Mighty Soybean include:

• Environmentally Friendly: In terms of sustainability, soy uses fewer natural resources such as water and land than any other protein. Soybeans offer 941 pounds of protein per acre of land.[ii] On average, land requirements for meat-protein production are 10 times greater than for plant-protein production.[iii]
• Heart Healthy: Soy is a lean protein and contains less saturated fat than most other protein sources and naturally has no cholesterol. It is the only protein recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its role in reducing cardiovascular disease.[iv]
• Best for Kids: Soymilk is the only dairy alternative that meets U.S. Department of Agriculture child nutrition requirements for protein, calcium, vitamins A and D and potassium.

Throughout the month of April, the Mighty Soybean will be promoted in supermarkets across the U.S. via cooking demonstrations, coupons, in-store displays, discounts and recipes. The Soyfoods Association will also be encouraging consumers to share how the Mighty Soybean fits in their family meals online at soyfoodsmonth.org, facebook.com/SoyfoodsAssociation and pinterest.com/soyfoods.

The versatility of soyfoods is evident in the brands and organizations that sponsor National Soyfoods Month. Industry partners include: DuPont Nutrition and Health; House Foods tofu; Silk soymilk and dairy alternatives; SOYJOY whole soy and fruit bars; Sunrich Naturals edamame; Yves meat alternatives; and the United Soybean Board, Kansas Soybean Commission, Maryland Soybean Board and Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.

For more information about April's National Soyfoods Month, including myth-busting facts, nutrition information, tips, and endless possibilities for recipes, please visit soyfoodsmonth.org.

About Soyfoods Association of North America
The Soyfoods Association of North America is a non-profit trade association that has been promoting consumption of soy-based foods and beverages since 1978. The Soyfoods Association is committed to encouraging sustainability, integrity and growth in the soyfoods industry by promoting the benefits and consumption of soy-based foods and ingredients in diets. More information is available at www.soyfoods.org.

[i] Hughes GJ, Ryan DJ, Mukherjea R, et al. Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS) for soy protein isolates and concentrate: criteria for evaluation. J Agric Food Chem. 2011; 59:12707-12712.
[ii] Derived by LMC from ARS Nutrient Database, www.ars.usda.gov/site_main.htm?modecode=12=35=45-00
[iii] Leitzmann C (2003). Nutrition ecology: the contribution of vegetarian diets. AM J Clin Nutr 78 (Suppl), 658S
[iv] As part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, 25g soy protein per day may reduce the risk of heart disease

The Soyfoods Association of North America
1050 17^th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 659-3520
[email protected]

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SOURCE Soyfoods Association of North America

Related Links

http://www.soyfoods.org