Everyone knows I’m a direct advocate of sushi and all the health benefits it has, but today I’d like to focus on a well known before thought to the Asian culture – Edamame. Edamame (Beans on Branches) is just a fancy name for soy bean. A green pod bean that’s often served as an appetizer at almost any Japanese restaurant that is also a tasty but healthy anytime snack. This green bean is packed with fiber and protein, another advantage of soy is the significant amounts of all the essential amino acids it contains.

The benefits include help with kidney damage, reducing overall cholesterol and soy is also linked with helping prevent and treat hypertension.

You can buy Edamame in the frozen food aisle or fresh in the vegetable aisle, shelled or with pods. Easy to prepare depending on which you choose may only have to thaw or boil.

Here is the nutritional value 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
• 1.7 grams Ash
• 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
• 10% Daily Value for iron
• 8% Daily Value for vitamin A
• 4% Daily Value for calcium