ahoy, soy!

this isn't exactly a recipe of any kind, but i wanted to post about one of my favorite snacks: soy nuts. in idaho, our equivalent to food 4 less is called winco (and i think winco is also in utah). there is a great bulk foods section, and that's where i buy my roasted soy nuts. soy nuts can be flavored (i've seen bbq and spicy), or just lightly salted. be careful when buying packaged salted soy nuts because a high sodium intake isn't good either.

soy nuts are made from soaked soy beans that are then baked into a golden crispiness. in comparison, soy nuts are smaller and rounder than peanuts. they are crunchier, and i think the texture is slighty more pasty/thicker than peanuts.

in small portions (about a handful), soy nuts are wonderfully good for you. dr. andrew weil is "a big fan" of soy nuts because "the phytochemicals (called isoflavones) they contain have been shown in hundreds of studies to help prevent heart disease and several forms of cancer." soy nuts also contain a healthy amount of protein (which is good for this almost-none meat eater!).

i just eat soy nuts by themselves, but you can add them to salads instead of sunflower seeds (which is also a big favorite of mine!). do you know of any recipes that call for soy nuts? i'd be interested in trying some.