April showers [hopefully] bring May flowers and a month to celebrate one of America’s most favored proteins, beef! May is beef month, and what better way to celebrate than by pairing beef with soy to create not only delicious, but also nutritious meals. Recipes that combine beef and soy not only enhance the variety and flavor of our meals, but it also offers an opportunity to incorporate essential nutrients into your diet – basically the best of both worlds.
Exploring the Nutritional Benefits of Beef & Soy:
- Beef: A high quality protein source packed with 10 essential nutrients including vitamins like B12, and minerals like iron and zinc which are needed for muscle growth, brain function, & overall health.1 With nearly 40 lean cuts to choose from, the opportunities are abundant.
- Soy: Another high-quality protein source that is also rich in fiber, and known for its ability to lower cholesterol, and provide heart health benefits.3 Whether it’s edamame, miso, tofu, soymilk, or even soy nut butter, soy comes in many different forms for us to enjoy.
- Best of Both Worlds: Pairing beef and soy together, creates a complimentary protein package with a fiber rich punch to support a healthy dietary pattern and allows for more creativity in the kitchen.
In the Kitchen:
- Mongolian Beef with Edamame: Thin slices of top sirloin steak stir-fried, coated in a delicious sauce with edamame. Ready in 20 minutes, and sure to please!
- Roasted Corn & Edamame Salad with Grilled Flank Steak: The perfect recipe for summer gatherings – it will feed a crowd.
- Ground Beef and Tofu Teriyaki Stir-Fry This quick and filling weeknight meal combines ground beef and tofu. Pack leftovers for a filling lunch the next day.
The Perfect Pairing for Health:
- A diet rich in protein helps keep you fuller longer. Meals that include a combination of animal protein, like beef, with a plant protein, like soy, do just that – provide us a sense of satiety thus can help us better manage our weight and overall health. 2-4 Thank you, fiber and protein!
- Additionally, the high-quality protein from beef and soy helps support muscle maintenance and growth – which is absolutely crucial as we age. 5
This May, as we celebrate National Beef month, let us not forget the endless possibilities we have when delicious beef pairs up with soy on the plate. It allows us the opportunity to enhance the flavor profile as well as fill a fiber nutrient gap2 – a win, win, in this dietitian’s book. Let’s bloom & stay inspired!
References:
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Foundation Foods. Version Current: April 2023. Internet: fdc.nal.usda.gov.
- Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;11(1):80-85. doi: 10.1177/1559827615588079. PMID: 30202317; PMCID: PMC6124841.
- Michelfelder AJ. Soy: a complete source of protein. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Jan 1;79(1):43-7. PMID: 19145965.
- Paddon-Jones D, et al. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:1558S-61S.
- Paddon-Jones D, et al. Protein and healthy aging. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;101:1339S–45S.
