How do you choose low calorie soy products? Water content is the key!

Soymilk is quick to digest and absorb, and it also replenishes water, making it a great source of protein after exercise.

If you want to lose weight and gain muscle, you must supplement protein after exercise to repair and regenerate the muscle tissue destroyed during exercise. If combined with the right amount of carbohydrates, it can also increase muscle mass and performance, and even help reduce body fat. In addition to protein intake from meat, soy products also contain a lot of protein, and the fat content is also lower. However, there are hundreds and hundreds of soy products on the market, some of which are processed, so how should you choose to avoid stepping on landmines and increasing your body's burden?

The higher the water content, the lower the calorie content

Chen Chun-cheng, a part-time lecturer at the Department of Extension Education at Chinese Culture University, pointed out that soybean products can be divided into a variety of products derived from soybeans ground into soymilk, including bean curd, dried soybeans, soybean skins and so on, as well as indirect soybean products derived from soybeans through the chemical extraction of proteins, such as vegetarian chicken, vegetarian ducks, vegetarian fish and so on.

●General soy products

1. Soymilk: Soymilk is made from ground soybeans and is a lightly processed food, which is good for post-exercise supplementation in terms of accessibility and convenience, said Lin Shihang, a nutritionist and founder of Good Food Classes. And since soy milk is liquid, it's digested and absorbed quickly, and it also replenishes water at the same time, said dietitian Yang Zhexiong.

But if you have a weak stomach and are worried about flatulence, you can drink soy milk instead, which can be heated and boiled to break down the flatulence-prone substances in soybeans, or you can just buy unsweetened soy milk on the market. If you want to ingest soy isoflavones from soy products, you can use 50 ° C reverse osmosis water, placed in an electric pot to keep warm, soaking soybeans for 8 hours, after which the soaking water will be poured out, replaced with clean water, and then cooked soybeans, sterilization.

2. Tofu: The traditional plate tofu is soy milk with coagulant calcium sulfate, forming a semi-solidified state, then scooped into a box of gauze-wrapped wooden molds, and then put the lid on and press. Supermarket boxed tender tofu, on the other hand, uses gluconolactone as a coagulant and is solidified and molded directly in the box. Tofu is high in water content and low in calories.

3. Dried tofu: Tofu is pressed to extract some more water and wrapped in saran wrap or shaped in different molds to become firmer dried tofu without the use of too many additional additives.

4. Soybean Skin: A layer of protein and oil floating on the soybean milk is fished out and dried in the sun, which is soybean skin, some of which will then be deep-fried and added gluten, which has a higher calorie content.

5. Frozen tofu: Frozen tofu is frozen, producing ice crystals, destroying tissues, and when it melts, it creates cavities.

6. 100 pages of tofu: Chen Juncheng pointed out that the practice of 100 pages of tofu is relatively different, is added to soybean milk inside the soybean protein, starch or chemically modified starch, grease, emulsifier, salt, monosodium glutamate, etc., to modulate into a thick and flowing fluid, and then use heat to solidify, without going through the process of soybean milk with coagulant into tofu. Because of the high fat content, the total calories, there may be as much as 5~6% from fats and oils.

Vegetarian meat belongs to the indirect soy products, to pay attention to whether to add phosphate, it is best to supplement more calcium at the same time. (Photo: Health Magazine)

●Indirect soy products

Indirect soy products, such as vegan chicken, vegan duck, and vegan ham, are often regarded as "vegan meats," which have to be processed with additives in order to make them look good and taste good. In the case of vegetarian chicken, some additives and preservatives are used to maintain stability and avoid acidity, while modified chemical starches and phosphates add flavor, Chen said.

The main ingredient in these indirect soy products is soy protein or gluten. Gluten is the protein from wheat, also known as gluten. The production process would mix fats and emulsifiers and heat them up, then add a large amount of soy protein, cook it to a paste and then fill the mold, followed by heating and shaping it.

But the additives can be a burden on the body if eaten over time. For example, phosphate, additive phosphorus belongs to the inorganic phosphorus, will soon be absorbed by the body, resulting in high blood phosphorus, high blood phosphorus, long-term large amounts may lead to osteoporosis, affecting renal function, it is best to supplement the calcium at the same time.

If you want to increase muscle mass, in addition to protein intake from soy products, it is recommended that you also with meat, milk or eggs. (Photo/Health Magazine)

To match the intake of animal protein

Intake of soybean products, there are a few principles:

1. The more prototypes, the better: Lin Shihang suggests that, if you want to supplement the plant-based protein, lightly processed soybean products, including soymilk, tofu, dried beans are a good choice.

2. Eat in moderation: Although many soy products contain additives, Chen Chun-cheng emphasized that the amount of most additives is not much, are in the standard use of the range, as long as you avoid excessive intake, it will not be too much of a burden on the body, but also pay attention to the ingredient labeling.

3. Matching meat, milk or eggs: Plant-based proteins lack some essential amino acids and rely on animal proteins, which are also easier for the body to absorb. If you are worried about the high fat content of meat, you can choose chicken breast or tenderloin.