Edamame is something that I haven't know about for long and wish I'd had it in my arsenal of post surgery weight loss snacks. Eda-who-what? I said the first time that someone served me it. Usually I've heard it pronounced as ED-ah- Mammy (much like Mommy). Anyway, basically what it is are soybeans. You steam the edamame, open the pods and eat the soybeans inside.

Here's what you'll find 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
* 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
* 10% Daily Value for iron
* 8% Daily Value for vitamin A
* 4% Daily Value for calcium

(*remember the fats are PMS (Poly/Mono/Saturated) and P is the best, S is the worst. So while this has some fats, they are healthier fats for the body.

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

While like everything else, we would want to eat these in moderation, they make a good alternative to eating chips or popcorn when watching movies and you can sit there and it takes some work to eat it.

The only problem I have is finding them. You can try some markets that have ethnic foods or they are available in a box with 12 portion controlled, steaming bags at Costco.

Enjoy!

Dawn