Thursday, August 7, 2008

Edamame!

They like it! They really liked it! I've been meaning to try Edamame for awhile now- finally last night I needed a quick veggie to go with our dinner and this took 2 minutes to boil so it was fast and easy. I sprinkled on some kosher salt and really thought I would be the only one eating it. In fact, I didn't even put it on the boys' plates...but soon they were reaching for it and the four of us ate a bowlful! I'm so happy to find a veggie that the boys really love (besides carrots, corn and cucumbers)! Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):
120 calories
9 grams fiber
2.5 grams fat
1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
11 grams protein
13 grams carbohydrate
15 mg sodium
10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
10% Daily Value for iron
8% Daily Value for vitamin A
4% Daily Value for calcium

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast. (Info from MedicineNet.com )

1 comment:

April said...

What are you a nutritionalist? I love it, I'm going to pick up some edamame next time I grocery shop!