Vegan| Gluten Free | Soy-free

Packed with powerful antioxidants, fibers, plant-based proteins, and most importantly, no added sugars, this smoothie is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth while still being completely healthy. This is my favorite breakfast smoothie for several reasons: 1. Chocolate (obvs), 2. Keeps me full for a really long time, and 3. (I think) Cherries are my favorite fruit.

I think I don’t acknowledge cherries as much on my blog because they’re really hard to find here; I mean, I haven’t seen them in bulk in over a year. I would honestly prefer buying them in bulk, pitting them, and then freeze them. For now, I’m sticking to buying them frozen.

Now I would have this smoothie every day, but I kind of don’t want to ruin its magic, so I only have it on the weekends. And by magic I mean it’s richness and heavenly creaminess. I find it to be a super filling, gives me tons of energy, and it keeps my chocolate craving in check. For me, it works amazingly well as a breakfast, but it can also work as a healthy snack, for a post-workout boost or good-night meal.

For this smoothie, I used frozen bananas as a base for natural sweetness and it also gives it the creamy texture. I also used frozen cherries, raw cacao powder, chia seeds and cacao nibs, that enriched the smoothie with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Notes:

• Want more nutrition? Try adding ¼ cup of oats.
• Want less chocolaty flavor? Just add 1 tbsp of cacao powder instead.
• Want more heavenly creaminess? Add 2 bananas instead of  1½.
• Don’t like the banana flavor? Switch for your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream!

Pin Print

Choco-Cherry Vegan Shake

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 ½ frozen bananas
• ½ cup frozen cherries
• 1 cup of plant-based milk of choice (I use coconut milk)
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp cacao nibs
• Chocolate sauce: melt ½ tbsp of coconut oil + 1 tbsp cacao powder + 1 tsp maple syrup

Procedure

1. Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
2. Mix the chocolate sauce ingredients and add some to the bottom of your smoothie glass.
3. Pour the shake to the glass, and ENJOY!

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Vegan | Gluten-free

#VeganizedPuertoRican is BACK! In the USA, people usually slater buffalo sauce in their chicken dip and call it a day. We don’t do that here, in Puerto Rico is all about the herbs & spices. I grew up seeing this dip at family gatherings, parties, school/university activities, beach days & work events. I used to love it so much that when I went vegan, my mom made a version with soy ground. Little did we know, that jackfruit would do the trick to make it fully authentic. This Vegan Chicken Dip is nothing but delicious1

This appetizer is traditionally made with chicken (obvs!), cream cheese, garlic, onion, parsley & red bell pepper. With only two ingredients being non-vegan, it ended up being super easy to veganize.

Just swap out the chicken for jackfruit & the cream cheese for vegan cream cheese!

Here’s how I make the Vegan Chicken Dip:

This is a video done in collaboration with 623 Foodie Studio, see it here.

Pin Print

Vegan Chicken Dip

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) can or 2 cups of jackfruit, drained & rinsed
• ¾  cup vegan cream cheese, softened
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup white or red onion, chopped
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Splash of white vinegar (or ½ lemon juice)
• A handful of parsley flakes

Procedure

1. Drain jackfruit, rinse well & place in water for about 20 minutes. This allows the jackfruit to soften up & release any brine that’s left from the can.
2. Drain jackfruit, and remove seeds. Set jackfruit aside.
3. To a food processor, add the vegan cream cheese, red bell pepper, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and salt & pepper. Blend until the bell pepper is completely combined.
4. Blend in the jackfruit, chopped onion & parsley.
5. Serve with multi-grain chips, carrot, or celery sticks, and ENJOY!

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free |

Dr. Praeger’s products were provided to facilitate this post. See below for more details.

Dr. Praeger’s dropped a new meatless product line: Pure Plant Protein. The created flavorful soy-free plant-based burgers, breakfast sausage and chickenless tenders that deliver a great texture, 10g of plant-based protein & loads of fiber with all the veggies and clean ingredients for which the brand is known. All while being soy and gluten-free!

For years I’ve been a Dr. Praegers stan, their veggie burgers are the only frozen veggie burgers that I’ve bought for years. That’s why, when the opportunity to work with them was presented, I didn’t think it twice. However, instead of going with a burger, I decided to challenge myself into creating a meal with their plant-based tenders.

Hence: Caesar Salad Tacos! Which has become my favorite quick lunch lately? Years ago, I used to love caesar salad; I would go to Costco just to get their huge bowls. That love quickly went away when I started transitioning to veganism and figured out what is actually in a caesar dressing: SO MUCH JUNK. However, a couple of weeks ago, I found Vegan Caesar by Follow Your Heart at my local supermarket. This drove me to create these tacos, but with a twist!

I used lettuce from my grandmother’s garden, roma tomatoes, plantain croutons, red onions Dr. Praegers Classic Chick’n Tenders & vegan caesar dressing. If you can’t find the vegan caesar or if you feel like making your own, here’s a foolproof caesar dressing recipe.

Pin Print

Vegan Caesar Salad Tacos

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2-4 whole-wheat tortillas
• 3 Dr. Praeger's Classic Chick’n Tenders
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup lettuce, chopped
• ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
• Vegan croutons of choice
• Vegan caesar salad dressing
• Optional: vegan parmesan

Procedure

1. Cook the tenders according to instructions on the package.
2. While the tenders are cooking, warm up your tortillas on a pan.
3. When the tenders are done, slice each piece in half & group the pieces in three.
4. Assemble your tacos & top with dressing & croutons. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Dr. Praegers. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s content like this that helps me keep this site running to provide the vegan recipes you see every week.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free 

I’m often asked what I pack for lunch when I meal prep. My answer? Portable and easy meals! Always go simple, with minimal meals that are easy to carry when you’re on the go. Today, I bring you a classic: Garden Chickpea Salad. You can have this with some multigrain chips, or as my favorite, a sandwich; this is essential for heading off to school or work for the day.

This Garden Chickpea Salad is an easy, satisfying, and delicious vegan alternative to the usual non-vegan sandwich fillers. It’s so refreshing and flavorful, that it puts every tuna or chicken salad ever made put to shame.

With easy to find (& grow) ingredients, you can make an entire week worth of lunch for just under $10 in just 15 minutes! However, this Garden Chickpea Salad offers endless possibilities; you can easily customize this recipe by using other veggies, herbs & spices, and dare I say berries (?), that you might already have in your kitchen.

Pin Print

Garden Chickpea Salad

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup Chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• ½ cup bell peppers, chopped
• ½ cucumber, chopped & seeded
• ¼ cup Vegan Mayo (I used Just Mayo)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, onion powder, & paprika, to taste

Procedure

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Roughly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork. I like to leave some chunks of the chickpeas in there.
2. Add the carrot, celery, onion, bell peppers & cucumber and mix well. NOTE: remember to remove the center of the cucumber (seeds & gooey part), otherwise after a couple of days there will be some liquid in your salad.
3. Mix in the vegan mayo, as well as the herbs, spices & lemon juice.
4. Serve with some multigrain chips or as a sandwich, and ENJOY!

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

Brownie Batter for breakfast? Yes, please!

Recipes for overnight oats are all over Pinterest!  They all look so good, but it became necessary for me to create my own chocolaty recipe. Plus with juggling grad school, work and my internship, weekday breakfasts can be rough. Breakfast to-go & rush out the door.

So what I do is, I prepare a huge bowl of them on Meal Prep Sunday’s, and have it for through the week. It’s amazing, and I even got my mom on the bandwagon.

Prepare this oatmeal and let it rest throughout the night; You’ll be waking up with a breakfast dessert! The best part? There’s no need to cook and has simple ingredients such as: cacao powder, oatmeal, and plant-based milk. Serve with bananas, peanut butter and/or chocolate chips, to add more decadence. Obviously, this recipe is for 1 serving, but you can easily quadruple it to have a bigger serving.  

*this recipe was originally published on Poliniza’s Blog in spanish, click here to see.

Brownie Batter Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of oatmeal
• ¾ cup of plant-based milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• ⅓ cup of raw cacao powder
• Preferred sweetener (to taste): date syrup, maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Process:

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well with a spoon.
2. Refrigerate in a glass container or container with lid, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Serve with bananas, berries, peanut butter and/or chocolate chips, and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

Keeping up with this month’s theme (protein), today we have Omelette aux Pois Chiches, the vegan version of Omelette du Fromage. Lol.

This chickpea omelet with spinach, onions & bell peppers is officially my new favorite homemade brunch,  that I think I’ll be enjoying probably all month long. This recipe is simple to make and you can add all of your favorite veggies like mushrooms, peppers, spinach, or onions, tomatoes & green onions.

Chickpea flour has proven to be rich in protein, iron & fiber, and also to be the perfect flour in terms of texture & taste. It’s also extremely versatile and you can add whatever seasoning or herbs you want into the batter. And for added nutritional value, try filling these up with these veggies:

• Onions
• Bell peppers
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Green onions
• Vegan cheese
• Cilantro Sauce by Good Foods
• Vegan Cheese, like this one by VioLife

What else can I do with chickpea flour? Try adding chickpea flour to various recipes that call for regular flour, like in my Jackfruit Chicharrones. It’s gluten-free, vegan and nutrient-packed; and you can change it up by changing any seasoning.

Notes:

• A nonstick pan works best for this recipe.
• When flipping the omelet, loosen up the bottom with a spatula before so it doesn’t stick and break.
• You can also mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and keep in in a sealed jar. When you’re ready to make omelets, you just need to liquid and veggies.
• Try every seasoning, except curry powder, it will turn your batter red as soon as it hits the pan. This was my first try at this recipe.

Recipe: Chickpea Omelet

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients

Batter:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup plant-based milk or water
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Non-stick spray

Veggies (about ¼ cup of veggies per omelet):

• Spinach
• Onions
• Green onions
• Bell peppers
• Mushrooms

Procedure:

1. Mix chickpea flour, with all of the ingredients in a bowl (except non-stick spray), and whisk until there are no lumps. You want the texture to be like pancake batter.
2. Chop up the veggies you want to add to your omelet.
3. Heat up the pan to med-low heat, and spray with nonstick spray
4. Pour batter into the hot pan, top with veggies, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the top of the omelet no longer looks wet.
5. Carefully flip the omelet to the other side and cook for 3-5 more minutes until it is no longer soft in the middle.
6. When able to, gently fold over one side to cook another minute. Cover with a lid and turn off the stove and allow to steam for 5 minutes.
7. Serve, garnish with tomatoes, minced onion, sliced avocado, greens & your favorite sauce.
8. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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To carry out a healthy and balanced diet in all the senses is a very feasible reality for the vegan people. This balance comes together with the combination of nutrients, especially three macronutrients, one of them being Protein. Believe it or not, Vegans and Vegetarians are still under fire from the protein hype, due to the common misconception that protein is only obtainable from animals. Thankfully, this view is becoming increasingly outdated, but people still have questions about plant-based protein sources.

What’s protein?

Protein needs little to no introduction. You likely already know it as one of the three major macronutrients that make up your diet (the other two being fat and carbohydrates).

Pro·tein /ˈprōˌtēn/

noun

1. any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.

So basically, protein is considered the building block of life and is found in every cell of the body. Proteins play a role in:

• Transporting molecules throughout the body
• Helping repair cells and make new ones
• Protecting the body from viruses and bacteria
• Promoting proper growth and development in children, teenagers, and pregnant women

Information from: Everyday Health

How much protein do I need?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend a daily protein intake of 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. About 60 grams of protein for a person who weighs 165 pounds. People aiming to build muscle, pregnant or nursing women, and older adults may need more protein consumption; consult with your health specialist.

Plant-based protein vs. Animal protein

Plant-based protein has been shown to be much more beneficial to the body than animal protein. This is because it also contains healthy combinations with carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making it the “package deal” of foods.

Animal protein, on the other hand, lacks of fiber, is high in fat and cholesterol, which leads to poor digestive health, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease. Animal protein also comes with an increased cancer risk due to their higher proportions of essential amino acids which causes our bodies to produce higher levels of the hormone insulin-like growth factor, leading to cancer growth. One of the proteins found in dairy, casein, is also strongly linked to several types of cancer.

So as you can see, animals are not the best sources of protein. On the other hand, there are so many plant-based meats, milks and other foods derived from plants that are high in protein, incredibly delicious and so healthy that you will not even want to eat animals, eggs or milk.

“Where can I get my protein?”

There is protein in almost everything. For example, a boring bagel has 10 grams of protein, seriously, google it! Vegans and Vegetarians don’t need to worry about where they’re getting their protein or whether they’re getting enough because it can be found in every single whole plant food. Yep, that’s right; even those fruits and veggies you’re eating contain some grams of protein.

Grains and legumes are good sources of proteins of vegetable origin. Seitan, made with wheat gluten contains more protein per gram than beef and pork. The same happens with other foods rich in plant proteins such as tempeh and tofu.

Retrieved from: https://www.arespectfullife.com/2017/08/11/vegan-fit/

Types of plant-based protein:

1. Soy (in its different forms): Whole soy products are among the richest sources of protein in a plant-based diet. These are products also contain good levels of calcium and iron, which makes them healthful substitutes for dairy products. The protein content varies with how the soy is prepared:
   • Edamame beans (immature soybeans) can contain 8g of protein per ½ cup
   • Firm tofu (soybean curds) can contain about 10g of protein per ½ cup
   • Tempeh can contain about 15g of protein per ½ cup
2. Seitan: A complete protein made from mixing wheat gluten with various spices. The high gluten content means that it should be avoided by people with gluten intolerance.
3. Grains & Legumes:
   • Legumes: They can contain plenty of protein, fiber, and key nutrients, including iron and potassium, when cooked, they can contain 8g of protein per ½ cup.
   • Grains: are super versatile, some may contain around 7g per ½ cup.
   • Quinoa: Surprisingly enough, quinoa is a grain with high protein content, when cooked, it can contain 8g of protein per cup.
4. Nuts & Seeds:
   • Peanuts: They’re protein-rich, full of healthful fats, and may improve heart health. They contain around 20g of protein per ½ cup.
   • Almonds: They offer 16g of protein per ½ cup, and a good amount of vitamin E, which is great for the skin and eyes.
   • Walnuts: These offer about 15g of protein per ½ cup, and full of healthy fats & fiber.
   • Cashews: You’ll get roughly 18g of protein per ½ cup of cashews, as well as magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc.

   • Chia seeds: These are a complete source of protein that contains 2g of protein per tablespoon, they’re also rich in fiber and heart-healthy with Omega-3 fatty acids.
   • Hemp seeds: Similarly to chia seeds, hemp seeds are a complete protein. They offer 5g of protein per tablespoon.
   • Nut butters are also rich in protein with 8g per tablespoon, depending on which nut butter.
5. Leafy greens: Many dark-colored, leafy greens. Eaten alone, these foods are not enough to meet daily protein requirements, but when combined with other protein-rich foods.
   • Broccoli: a single stalk of broccoli contains about 4g of protein
   • Spinach:
   • Kale offers 2g of protein per cup
6. Mushrooms: 5 medium mushrooms offer 3g of protein
7. Potatoes: A large potato offers 8g of protein per serving, they’re also high in other nutrients, such as potassium and vitamin C.
8. Spirulina: This is blue or green algae that contain about 8g of protein per 2 tablespoons. It is also rich in nutrients, such as iron, B vitamins like B12.
9. Bread: Ezekiel Bread is a nutrient-dense alternative to traditional bread that offers 4g of protein per slice. It is made from barley, wheat, lentils, millet, and spelt.

Information retrieved from Healthline

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

I’m a big fan of coconut treats, and this recipe ticks all the boxes: simple, few ingredients & cost effective. They’re not raw, but they don’t require any baking, and they come together with only 6 ingredients. Most importantly, they are intensely, supremely satisfying, seriously addictive and take minutes to whip up! Once you bite into these chewy coconut bars you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

Are these Coconut Bars healthy?

Amazingly, yes! They contain lots of good fats: desiccated coconut, coconut cream, coconut oil & nuts.

But what about the sugar?

For this recipe, I used date syrup, which is less sweet than agave, honey, or maple syrup. Its benefits include low-Glycemic index food, high fiber content, & 78% invert sugar. However, if you can’t find date sugar, natural maple syrup will work just fine.

Variations:

• Trade the macadamia nuts for cashews or almonds
• Cover the bars in chocolate to create vegan mound bars!
• Try adding dried berries to the mix: cranberries or goji berries

Keep them in the fridge and serve straight from there. They will stay fresh for a week (or even longer) when kept stored in a covered container, though let’s face it, they will never last that long!

Recipe: Macadamia-Coconut Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• ½ cup raw macadamia nuts
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ⅓ cup coconut cream
• Optional: 4 tbsp coconut oil
• Optional: date, agave or maple syrup (to taste)

Procedure:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Line 8×4 pan with parchment paper & press down coconut mix.
3. Place in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes and let set.
4. Remove from fridge & cut into bars.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Oil-free

Valentines Day is just around the corner! Here’s a simple dinner for two, that you can pair up with some Pinot Noir or your favorite drink.

Traditionally, pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, oil, and parmesan. However, there are so many variations; I like to make mine with basil & almonds, and sometimes I’ll even throw in a slice of avocado. I’ve never gotten more creative than that. Until recently Unicorn Superfoods send me some of their powders and one of them was a beetroot one. As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to make: Beetroot Pesto.

To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of beets. I love them in juices, as chips, and in hummus; but I just don’t like handling them, they can be so messy. Which is why I thought that receiving this product was so convenient.

100% Natural Superfood

So what is a superfood? Superfoods are foods that are considered high in nutrient value and beneficial to your well-being. Unicorn Superfoods was amazing and sent me their Beetroot 100% Natural Superfood Powder, which is vegan, gluten-free, organic. This product claims its benefits include: stamina boosts, lower blood pressure, reducing signs of aging and being rich in nutrients and fiber. I find this product to be great with smoothies, lattes, baked goods, and of course, my Beetroot Pesto.

Disclaimer: This post is in no way sponsored by Unicorn Superfoods. All opinions are my own.

The Pesto

This beetroot pesto has the essence of the traditional pesto: greens, nuts & garlic. However, you’ll find no oil and no parmesan. For the nuts, I used walnuts, as they add a wonderful nutty flavor that goes well with the taste of the earthy beets! The walnuts are loaded with good fats, as well as with iron, selenium, calcium, zinc, vitamin E and some B vitamins. I also decided to add raw garlic to it, which adds great flavor and great antiviral properties. However, if you’re not a fan of raw garlic, you can add roasted garlic. There is also a squeeze of lemon in it for acidity and freshness and a handful of nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor.

Recipe: Beet Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• Pasta of choice
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup basil
• 1 cup spinach
• ¾ cup plant-based milk
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp Beetroot Powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Handful of Nutritional Yeast
• Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook desired amount of pasta according to packaging instructions.
2. As the pasta cooks, combine all of the other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste, and nutritional yeast.
4. When the pasta is ready, remove from heat and drain.
5. Add pasta to a large mixing bowl, and mix the pesto in.
6. Serve with more greens, your favorite protein or just as it is. Enjoy!
7. Leftovers? This pasta will be good for about 5 days.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

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Since soy is such a common ingredient in plant-based & vegan lifestyles, there are some misconceptions around this ingredient that need to be addressed. These make soy a controversial food, where some people praise its health benefits, while others claim that it’s bad for you.

In reality, these misconceptions are just the result of outdated and/or misinterpreted research results. With this blog post, I want to answer questions like “Is soy safe for me? What is soy? What are the health benefits?”.  

I aim to set the record straight here, where you can find linked articles & research.

What is Soy?

Soy comes originally as a legume, starting out as the soybean, or Glycine Max, native to East Asia. It is higher in fat than most beans or lentils, but lower in carbohydrates and an excellent source of plant protein. Soy includes a wide variety of foods, including edamame, products made from whole soybeans, fermented soy foods, processed soy-based foods, and even supplements.

Soy foods – soy milk, soy sauce, soy meat, tofu, miso. Image Copyright: mything / Shutterstock

Soy and It’s Different Forms

• Whole Soy Products: Whole foods are always your best bet. Since they’re not processed, they retain the most nutritional benefits. Edamame, soy milk & tofu,
• Fermented Soy: These products are processed using traditional methods, some like soy sauce & tempeh.
• Soy-based Products: Soy is used to make several processed foods, including plant-based meat substitutes, non-dairy yogurts, and non-dairy cheeses.

Myths & Misconceptions:

1. “Soy will give me cancer”: The overall scientific evidence largely points to soy having positive effects on preventing or slowing down cancer growth. However, these studies are made solely on soy that hasn’t been GMO or contaminated with commercial chemical fertilizers. Some scientific researches have suggested that genistein, the predominant isoflavone in soy, has antioxidant properties that may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
2. “Soy messes with my fertility”: All evidence points towards soy not having any effect on growth, sexual development and fertility. In 2003, the Department of Health acknowledged that there was no evidence that people who regularly eat high quantities of soy, such as Asians, have altered sexual development or impaired fertility. How does a myth like this even begins, when Asia, the world’s largest continent with over 4.4 billion citizens, has been consuming soy for over 3,000 years.
3. “Soy is bad for my heart health”: Studies have indicated that daily consumption of soy may decrease symptoms of cardiovascular disease & risk, including weight, body mass index, and total cholesterol. Soy isoflavines have been found to help reduce levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol, by encouraging your body to produce nitric oxide, which helps to dilate blood vessels and reduce the pressure created by blood against the vessel walls.
4. “Soy inhibits thyroid functions”: Research up until Today, suggests that soy may not affect thyroid function, especially a “normal” thyroid; several studies have disproved the relationship between soy and lowered thyroid function. However, this research is still on the works; soy may have an effect on those who already have an existing thyroid condition and take medications for their thyroid.
5. “Soy is GMO”: Even though most of the soy grown is GMO, so far, there is limited scientific evidence suggesting that eating GMO soy has any negative health consequences. However, I do understand where most people’s concern comes from with not wanting to include GMO foods in their diet. I personally prefer to buy Non-GMO Organic soy when purchasing any type of food containing soy or made solely from soy. Products with Non-GMO Organic soy are available in most health food stores and even grocery stores, although it’s a bit harder to get in some parts of the world.

The Bottom Line

As stated through the post, soy offers several benefits, such as improving cholesterol levels, fertility outcomes, and menopause symptoms. Yet, it remains controversial as weak evidence suggests that it may be linked to cancer, poor thyroid function, and heart health. However, human studies around the world and across the years, have shown different results. Soy comes with many important minerals & come without the risk of diseases.

Overall, it seems that the benefits of incorporating soy into your diet outweigh any potential risks. Traditional soy products like tofu, are superior in many ways to animal-based and artificial protein sources. So feel free to eat whole or fermented soy foods in moderation and, Non-GMO Organic soy to keep unwanted chemicals out of your body.

The post Let’s Talk About Soy: The Good, The Bad, The Truth appeared first on VeggieJeva.