This 10-minute edamame recipe is perfect for your peri or menopausal diet

I love edamame and quick appetizers and snacks. Luckily, edamame contains phytoestrogens (natural, plant-based hormones mentioned in my previous article), so it is an excellent food to include in a perimenopausal or menopausal diet. My 10-minute spicy edamame recipe is perfect for your peri or menopausal diet! It combines two of my favourite things, spice and quickness.

The recipe is gluten-free and vegan, high in protein vs carbs and makes a delicious snack.

Soy protein

Soybeans are a whole protein source. Unlike many plant-based proteins, they provide all the essential amino acids your body needs, as animal proteins do. Amino acids help muscle maintenance, which we lose as we age.

One cup (160 grams) of cooked edamame provides about 18.4 grams of protein*

10-minute spicy edamame recipe

As always, if you’re working on a new diet or trying to incorporate new foods into it, especially for hormonal health, check with your doctor, dietician or nutritionist.

• Serves: 4, or if you’re me – 1!
• Total time: 10 minutes, cook time: 5-8 minutes (depending on your stove), prep time: 1-2 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound of edamame in the pods
• 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice from 1 lime
• Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of chili or hot sauce. I use Abokichi OKAZU chili paste.** They have milder options as well. The products are made in Canada, gluten-free, vegan, Keto-friendly, GMO-free, and MSG-free. The link goes to the company product page.
• Omit the spice if you’re not a fan or can’t have it.
• Optional: Add sea salt to taste or omit this ingredient. Depending on the chilli or hot sauce you use, it might already be high in sodium. I don’t add salt, as the chili paste I use has enough.

Directions

1. Boil some water and add salt. Rinse the edamame and drop it into the boiling water.
2. Cook the edamame until tender, then drain the water. It takes about 5 minutes to cook, depending on your stove.
3. Heat a large pan or skillet on medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, chilli or hot sauce, and garlic. Cook it for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the edamame and the lime juice. Cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the edamame from the pan and place it into a large bowl. Add the sea salt and mix it thoroughly.
6. Serve the edamame while warm.

Approximate nutritional information for 1 serving of spiced edamame (Based on brands and amounts used in the recipe)

• Calories: 159
• Fat: 8 g
• Carb: 9 g
• Protein: 18 g

Check out our other posts for more ways to keep your whole health and skin at its best.

If you think this 10-minute spicy edamame recipe is perfect for your peri or menopausal diet, we’ll have more plant-based perimenopausal and menopausal recipes coming soon!

* Source, The National Library of Medicine, National Centre for Biotechnological Information

** Abokichi is based in Toronto, women-run and the product is gluten-free, GMO-free, Keto-friendly, vegan and MSG-free. All products are made in Canada.