02 Sep A soy buffet, but is that a good thing? By Andrea Sachs, The Washington Post
At a recent reception held on Capitol Hill, the secret ingredient was . . .
soy.
No big shocker, considering the sponsor of the event was the Soyfoods Association of North America. But what I found surprising was the lack of obvious soy: no cubes of tofu coated in barbecue sauce or bowls brimming with peel-your-own edamame. To detect the soy, I needed sharper taste buds, or a culinary guide.
For a tour of the nibbles table, I approached Patricia Greenberg, a chef and cookbook author (example, “The Whole Soy Cookbook”) who assists the organization with menu planning and recipes, including this special event. The 50-year-old Los Angeleno with flawless skin, shiny hair and a marathon runnerʼs physique started from the left corner of the buffet, opposite the two-piece orchestra.
Pointing to a metal tray where meatballs bobbed in tomato sauce, she explained that the golfball-size orbs were half soy sausage, half real beef. “The 50/50 is a nice way to introduce soy” to non-soy eaters, said Greenberg, who suggested tossing the meatballs on spaghetti, in casseroles or between two halves of a sandwich roll and calling it a sloppy Joe.
She then moved on to a medley of aromatic basmati and wild rices mixed with steamed edamame, dried apricots and cranberries, and a drizzle of citrus vinaigrette. My heart felt healthier just looking at it. Fruit kabobs were paired with a soy yogurt spread, and in the spirit of DIY food, a make-your-own taco stand featured seasoned textured vegetable protein (TVP) chicken, soy sour cream and salsa, where a stray piece of shredded soy cheddar had jumped bowls. To save the group from washing one more dish, a dip of whipped tofu, red bell peppers and pimentos nestled inside a hollowed-out loaf of pumpernickel. And for dessert, a multi-tiered tray held aloft coin-size chocolate chip cookies with soy nuts. “They have more oomph than walnuts and pecans,” said Greenberg.
Regarding this feast before me, I started imagining how, after consuming this punch of protein, I was going to become an Olympic elliptical rider at the gym. I also knew that soy helped against bone loss and alleviated menopausal symptoms. But before I started for the serving spoons, I also took into consideration soyʼs dark side. That cookie might not be so sweet.
To understand the controversy over soyʼs health benefits, I contacted (post-reception) Lisa Young, an adjunct professor at New York Universityʼs Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health. In the simplest terms, she explained that soy contains properties that View More Activity mimic estrogen and that too much of the hormone can increase the risk of certain cancers, such as breast. When I asked her how much soy was safe, she threw out the magic amount of “in moderation.”
For high-risk women, she recommends eating soy in its purest form — tofu, tempeh, soybeans — a few times a week and fully avoiding processed soy foods, such as veggie burgers, soy chips, fake bacon, etc. Individuals without such sensitivities should follow the same advice, though they can safely incorporate processed soy into their diet. Her final warning, though: “Processed is processed.”
Armed with this knowledge, I will approach the next soy-spiked party a little differently. I might have a smaller gob of soy yogurt dip on my strawberry and skip the sour cream on the TVP chicken taco. And I will eat only one cookie instead of two — wait, make that only two, not three.
— Andrea Sachs