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Do Soy Crisps Offer Health Advantage?

By Leslie Ball


Most nutritionists advise that you have to let go of your snacks as a way of managing obesity. This is not as easy as it sounds, in most cases, you find yourself craving for potato chips or any other snacks and you end up eating them before you even realize that you are on a diet. The easier option is to replace the high-calorie snacks with lower calorie and healthier options. This is when you have to think of the soy crisps as the alternative.

The soy chips are very similar to the potato chips, both in texture and appearance. However, instead of potatoes, they are made from soy flour. Their nutritional value is much higher than that of potatoes and most other chips. They contain higher amount of sodium per serving, and high amount of a number of nutrients that are good for the body, a factor that makes them the healthier snacks.

First, their calorie content is very low, a factor that makes them good for those with the sugar problem, obese and overweight. In one ounce, there are only 109 calories. This together with only 2 grams of fats, you will be able to greatly cut on your sugar intake. Of the 2 grams of fats, only 0.3 fraction is saturated fats, leaving 1.6 as unsaturated fats.

The more the unsaturated fats the better as unsaturated fats have been found to help lower the cholesterol level in the blood. The unsaturated fat content is at 1.6 grams per ounce. In addition to this, there are no Trans fats associated with raising the level of bad cholesterol level and lowering the level of good cholesterol. These traits make them friendlier as they help lower chances of heart diseases.

The second consideration is their content of protein and fiber. A single ounce content of protein is 7.5 grams. Now that a healthy woman is recommended to have 46 grams and 56 grams of protein for a healthy man per day, this represents 16% and 13% of the recommended level respectively. It is not surprising that they are popular with the sports people and gym goers. They also have 1 gram fiber content representing 5% of what you require per day for normal digestion.

On the side of vitamins and mineral, a single ounce contains 1.47 milligrams of iron, which represents 18% of the daily requirement for men and 8% of recommended daily requirement for women. It also delivers 17% of an adult daily requirement of folic acid (folate). It also has vitamin K and vitamin E in small dosages.

However, their sodium content requires that you consult first. One ounce content of sodium is 239 milligrams, representing 10% of the daily limit for a healthy adult and 16% for those with heart diseases. In order to keep blood pressure normal, you have to keenly monitor the level of sodium intake.

Just like potatoes, the soy chips (crisps) are available in a variety of flavors, the common ones being the cheddar, barbecue, and salted. They have a light, crunchy texture and can be eaten plain or with other dishes. It is advisable that you pair them with other healthy ingredients like vegetable sticks, guacamole, or hummus.




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