Edamame has a tender green color, fresh and lovely, making it a popular vegetable in the summer. It's commonly seen in homes and restaurants, boiled and served as a delicious snack or an accompaniment to drinks.
Fresh bean vegetables are relatively high in nutrients: Edamame belongs to the category of fresh bean vegetables, along with its companions like cowpeas, peas, lentils, and green beans. Compared to other vegetables, fresh bean vegetables are relatively high in nutrients: their average protein content is 4%, they are generally high in carotene, and rich in potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, etc. Their vitamin B2 content is similar to that of green leafy vegetables. Among fresh bean vegetables, edamame's nutritional profile is particularly outstanding.
Edamame is rich in nutrients: The iron content in edamame is 3.5 milligrams per 100 grams, far higher than that in snow peas (0.9 mg), green beans (1.5 mg), peas (1.7 mg), kidney beans (1.0 mg), cowpeas (0.5 mg), and dragon beans (1.3 mg). Moreover, it is easily absorbed and can be one of the foods for children to supplement iron. The zinc content in edamame is 1.73 mg; among fresh bean vegetables, only peas (1.29 mg) and kidney beans (1.04 mg) exceed 1 mg. Both iron and zinc are nutrients closely related to intelligence, and combined with edamame's good taste and its status as a fun-to-eat food, it is very suitable for children.
Edamame is high in potassium, containing 478 milligrams per 100 grams. In the summer, sweating causes a loss of potassium, and this potassium depletion can lead to fatigue and loss of appetite. Eating edamame regularly in the summer can replenish potassium and alleviate tiredness.
The magnesium content in edamame is 70 milligrams per 100 grams, also far higher than other fresh beans (snow peas 16 mg, green beans 27 mg, peas 43 mg, kidney beans 16 mg, cowpeas 31 mg, dragon beans 46 mg). Magnesium helps maintain bone growth and neuromuscular excitability.
The vitamin C content in edamame is 27 milligrams per 100 grams, ranking first among fresh bean vegetables. Edamame is rich in dietary fiber, reaching 4.0 grams per 100 grams, which can not only improve constipation but also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Edamame also contains trace amounts of bioactive flavonoids, especially soy isoflavones, which are very important for women's health and alleviating menopausal discomfort.
Be mindful of your edamame intake: Although edamame is nutritious, it should not be eaten without restraint. Edamame is a star of late-night street food stalls, with a plate of edamame, a few skewers of grilled meat, and a draft beer being a classic combination for many. Moreover, many people believe that grilled meat skewers are animal food while edamame is plant food; the former is high in calories, and the latter is there to balance it out. They think this combination of meat and vegetables is both healthy and delicious.
In people's minds, animal food is high in energy, while plant-based vegetables are not. This is generally true, but edamame is an exception. Edamame is a high-energy vegetable, with 123.0 kilocalories per 100 grams, far higher than other fresh bean vegetables (e.g., snow peas 27 kcal, dragon beans 32 kcal, green beans 28 kcal, cowpeas 29 kcal) and other types of vegetables (e.g., radish 21 kcal, eggplant 21 kcal, red chili 32 kcal, winter melon 11 kcal, Chinese cabbage 17 kcal, rapeseed 23 kcal, spinach 24 kcal, lotus root 70 kcal). Additionally, the fat content in edamame is also relatively high at 5.0 grams per 100 grams, whereas the fat content of most vegetables we commonly eat is only a fraction of a gram.
Therefore, the combination of meat and edamame is not ideal. When eating, one should choose one or the other, or reduce the amount of both and pair them with other types of vegetables. In short, although edamame is a vegetable, it should not be eaten without restraint.