7 Soya in the daily diet Soya can be an important addition to your diet. But how can you use it in your daily cooking and meal preparation? This question is answered in this chapter. First we describe some of the things you need to know about storing and processing soya | 7 Soya in the daily diet Soya can be an important addition to your diet. But how can you use it in your daily cooking and meal preparation This question is answered in this chapter. First we describe some of the things you need to know about storing and processing soya. Then we describe some of the ways in which soya and other legumes can be prepared for eating. Good storage Dried legumes should be kept in a cool dry dark place in airtight containers. The longer beans and peas are kept the harder their seed coat becomes and the longer they need to be cooked. Beans start to germinate when they are exposed to light moisture and heat. They discolour in light and when exposed to moisture they are attacked by fungi. Groundnuts in particular start to turn mouldy if they become moist and there is a big risk of poisonous mycotoxins which if eaten can cause serious illness. These problems as well as damage from insects and rodents can be avoided by storing properly. Correctly stored legumes can be kept for about one year. Soya beans do not keep so long. Due to their high fat content they become rancid more quickly. Heat first Soya and some other legumes contain substances that need to be removed before they can be eaten. These are called the antinutritional elements. These reduce the nutritional value of the beans and are dangerous to health. The most important of these substances are lectins especially trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins and fasin. Lectins can cause red blood cells to agglutinate clump together . Trypsin inhibitors also interfere with protein digestion and growth. Fasin is a poisonous protein found in raw legumes or ones that have not been sufficiently heated. These also cause agglutination of red blood cells. 46 Cultivation of soya and other legumes Raw soya beans can also contain substances that cause goitre a swelling of the thyroid gland. Soya also contains an enzyme that gives it an unpleasant taste and smell if it is not inactivated by .
