If you bypass tofu at salad bars, skip the meatless dishes at Chinese restaurants, and avoid edamame when you?re out for sushi, well, it?s time to give soy-based foods a second look. “Whole soy foods are a great substitute for meat,”says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Their healthy protein content makes them a good option even if you?re not one of the growing number of people going “flexitarian,”or opting to eat less meat. Here?s your guide to making this legume a regular and great-tasting part of your diet.

Soy 101
All soy products are made from soybeans, mostly grown here in the United States. You can buy whole soybeans dried or canned, or in the produce section or freezer aisle as edamame, the common name for soybeans picked before they?re fully mature. (Edamame can be purchased either in pods or shelled.)

Beyond whole beans, soy takes on a number of different guises. Roasted soybeans are sold as soy nuts or ground into soy nut butter. Soybeans can be
soaked in water, cooked, and filtered to
make soy milk and soy yogurt. Adding a coagulant to soy milk curdles it, producing tofu, which ranges in texture from “silken”(very soft) to “extra firm,”depending on how
much liquid is removed. Soybeans can also be
fermented into a paste called miso (the base for miso soup) or a cake
or patty called tempeh, which is often used in place of meat in sandwiches or grilled
and eaten on its own. Finally, soy can be found in many packaged foods—such as frozen meatless burgers, cereals, and energy bars—often in the form of “soy protein isolate,”meaning it?s mostly the protein from soybeans you?re getting.

The power of soy
Soy?s biggest nutritional claim to fame is its complete protein, one of the only plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids our bodies need from our diets to function properly. This makes it an ideal substitute for meat, poultry, and eggs. In fact, a half cup of cooked soybeans supplies about one-third of your necessary daily protein, for a mere 149 calories (versus about 230 for one serving of cooked ground beef). That protein and the fiber it contains make it incredibly filling. Plus, soybeans are cholesterol-free and lower in heart-unhealthy saturated fat than meat and dairy.

Soy also packs a number of phytochemicals, including isoflavones, which may work together to help fight conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer. (Though you might have heard that women with a history of breast cancer should avoid soy, recent research suggests that?s probably not necessary, says Karen Collins, RD, nutrition adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research.) To score soy?s benefits, get up to three servings a day, mostly from less processed forms like soybeans, soy milk, soy nuts, and tofu. “When soybeans are eaten close to their original state, you get more of their good-for-you attributes,”says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet.

You may get slightly more nutrients from fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh, since the fermentation process can make those nutrients more absorbable by the body, says Blatner, but all forms of the legume deserve a place on your plate. Two exceptions: First, avoid soy isoflavone supplement pills and powders. Research hasn?t yet determined how much of it?s safe to take, says Collins. Plus, unlike whole soy foods, they don?t give you the full range of phytochemicals and other nutrients,
such as B vitamins, which help with bodily processes like metabolism and keep your DNA healthy. And though foods made with soy protein isolate (like soy burgers and soy dogs) do usually pack less saturated fat than their meat counterparts, they also tend to be loaded with sodium and additives, so don?t make them a staple.

Easy ways to eat soy
Look for simple places to swap soy in for other foods and drinks. Snack on soy nuts instead of cheese; use soy nut butter instead of peanut butter for a change of pace (you may not be able to tell the difference!). Soy milk is a great alternative for the lactose intolerant (just avoid sweetened ones, which pack extra sugars). Soybeans and tofu take a bit more prep, but not much. Here?s how to make them taste great, fast:

• Steam or boil edamame for 3 to 5 minutes. You can puree them into hummus instead of chickpeas, or just sprinkle the pods with sea salt, chili powder, Chinese five-spice powder, or any other spice you like, and squeeze the beans into your mouth.

• Because it?s so soft, “silken”tofu works well as a thickener for sauces, dips, and smoothies (try our Blueberry-Tofu Smoothie recipe). The denser texture of “firm”or “extra firm”tofu works best for stir-frying, grilling, or baking. Just remove extra moisture first so it?s not mushy: Lay a clean kitchen towel on a cutting board and place tofu on top. Cover with another clean towel and cutting board, then place a heavy pot on top. Allow it to rest for about 1 hour. Cut into cubes or strips and cook. Tofu will soak up the flavor of any dish it?s in; you can also marinate it as you would meat and poultry.

• Prepare whole soybeans the same way you would other beans: Cooked into soups or chili, added to Mexican dishes, or tossed cold in salads, they bring new flavor to your favorite dishes.

It’s dinnertime, and you’re craving something with a little flavor. Maybe you’ll grab Indian takeout or whip up a taco salad. But, uh-oh, these days it’s easy to find yourself biting into the ethnic version of a triple burger and fries. “We’ve Americanized dishes to the extent that they don’t have their original health benefits,” says Daphne Miller, MD, author of The Jungle Effect: The Healthiest Diets from Around the World-Why They Work and How to Make Them Work for You. Enjoy global cuisines in their purest state, on the other hand, and you get meals that are light, nutritious, and incredibly yummy.

So we asked experts to rank the 10 healthiest cuisines and reveal what makes them good for you. And to get you cooking authentic ethnic food, we tapped best-selling cookbook author Mark Bittman for his amazing (yet simple!) takes on takeout favorites.
1. Greek
There’s a good reason docs love the Mediterranean diet: Traditional Greek foods like dark leafy veggies, fresh fruit, high-fiber beans, lentils, grains, olive oil, and omega-3-rich fish deliver lots of immune-boosting and cancer-fighting ingredients that cut your risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other diet-related ailments. In fact, eating a traditional Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer, according to Harvard University research. And people lose more weight and feel more satisfied on this type of diet, which is rich in healthy fats, than on a traditional low-fat diet, another Harvard study suggests.

This cuisine also ranks high because of how it’s eaten, notes Dr. Miller, one of our judges. “The Greeks often share small plates of food called meze,” she says, having just a bite of meat along with low-cal, healthy Greek staples like fresh seafood, slowly digested carbs (beans, eggplant, or whole-grain breads), and small portions of olives and nuts.

If you’re eating out, order grilled fish and spinach or other greens sauteed with olive oil and garlic. “This dish gives you the anti-inflammatory combo of olive oil and greens with the blood-pressure-lowering effects of garlic,” Dr. Miller says.

Danger zone: Unless you make it yourself and go light on the butter, the classic spinach pie (spanakopita) can be as calorie- and fat-laden as a bacon cheeseburger.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Shrimp la Grecque

2. California Fresh
You don’t have to live on the West Coast to reap the body benefits of the California style of cooking. California Fresh is all about enjoying seasonal, local foods that are simply prepared-and that’s a healthy style you can adopt no matter where you live, says supermarket guru Phil Lempert, a leading consumer trend-watcher and one of our cuisines judges.

Eating plenty of disease-fighting, naturally low-cal, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables from a local farmers’ market or farm is good for your body, and it’s satisfying, says Health’s Senior Food and Nutrition Editor Frances Largeman-Roth, RD. “Foods grown locally are going to taste better and may have more nutrients,” she explains, while produce that’s shipped cross-country after being harvested can lose vitamin C and folate, not to mention flavor.

And what should you whip up from your local riches? Chef Annie Somerville at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco serves orrechiette with mushrooms, broccoli rabe, Italian parsley, hot pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese, or grilled veggie skewers over quinoa or couscous. But it’s a style cooking that great chefs cross the country are embracing. Bittman, who lives in New York City, makes Chard with Blood Oranges and Pistachios.

Danger zone: Relying on high-fat cheese to flavor veggie-based dishes is not a waist-friendly move, Largeman-Roth warns.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Chard with Blood Oranges and Pistachios

3. Vietnamese
Fresh herbs, lots of vegetables and seafood, and cooking techniques that use water or broth instead of oils-these are some of the standout qualities of Vietnamese food, our judges say. “This cuisine, prepared the traditional way, relies less on frying and heavy coconut-based sauces for flavor and more on herbs, which makes it lower in calories,” Largeman-Roth explains. Traditional Vietnamese flavorings (including cilantro, mint, Thai basil, star anise, and red chili) have long been used as alternative remedies for all sorts of ailments, and cilantro and anise have actually been shown to aid digestion and fight disease-causing inflammation.

One of the healthiest and most delicious Vietnamese dishes is pho (pronounced “fuh”), an aromatic, broth-based noodle soup full of antioxidant-packed spices. (Check out judge Bittman’s vegetarian take on it, at right.)

Danger zone: If you’re watching your weight, avoid the fatty short ribs on many Vietnamese menus.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Vietnamese Pho

4. Japanese
When Dr. Miller was traveling around the world doing research for her book, she found that traditional Japanese cuisine-especially the version eaten on the island of Okinawa, where people often live to 100-plus-was superhealthy. “Not only are Okinawans blessed with a diet rich in cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables, but they also prepare them in the healthiest way possible, with a light steam or a quick stir-fry,” Dr. Miller explains. They also practice Hara Hachi Bu, which means “eat until you are eight parts (or 80 percent) full,” she says. These simple diet rules may be why people in Japan are far less likely than Americans to get breast or colon cancer.

Japanese staples that are amazing for your health include antioxidant-rich yams and green tea; cruciferous, calcium-rich veggies like bok choy; iodine-rich seaweed (good for your thyroid); omega-3-rich seafood; shiitake mushrooms (a source of iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and folate); and whole-soy foods. “The soy that’s good for you is unprocessed, not made into fake meat,” Dr. Miller says. Think: tofu, edamame, miso, and tempeh, a nutty tasting soybean cake made from fermented soybeans.

Healthy choices the next time you visit a Japanese restaurant? Miso soup, which typically contains seaweed and tofu, or a simple veggie-and-tofu stir-fry.

Danger zone: White rice can cause a spike in blood sugar, so ask for brown rice, rich in fat-burning Resistant Starch (RS).

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Rice with Edamame and Sea Greens

5. Indian
Say “Indian food,” and you probably think of its aromatic spices, such as turmeric, ginger, red chilies, and garam masala (a mixture of cumin, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, and other spices). These distinctive flavors do more than perk up your favorite curry: They may actually protect against some cancers. And turmeric and ginger help fight Alzheimer’s, according to recent studies. Researchers point to the fact that rates of Alzheimer’s in India are four times lower than in America, perhaps because people there typically eat 100 to 200 milligrams of curry everyday. Turmeric, a main ingredient in curry, may have anti-inflammatory and healing properties; its benefits are now being studied at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Other good-news ingredients in Indian cuisine include yogurt and lentils, a fiber-and-RS all-star that has significant amounts of folate and magnesium, and may help stabilize blood sugar. Lentils are often combined with Indian spices to make dal, usually served as a side dish. “A vegetable curry with dal is a great choice at an Indian restaurant,” Largeman-Roth says.

Danger zone: Avoid anything fried, like samosas (pastry puffs) as well as heavy curries made with lots of cream and butter.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Baked Chickpeas with Paneer

6. Italian
The Italian tradition of enjoying a leisurely meal is good for digestion. But what really makes this cuisine a winner is its star ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, and basil. “Studies have shown that the lycopene in tomatoes may help protect women from breast cancer,” Dr. Miller says. One of the best ways to get cancer-fighting lycopene is in cooked tomato products: a half-cup of tomato sauce has more than 20 milligrams. Plus, garlic and traditional Italian herbs provide vitamins A and C. And olive oil helps lower cholesterol, fight heart disease, and burn belly fat.

Notice that melted cheese isn’t on that list of power Italian staples: Italians typically use Parmesan or another hard cheese instead, grated in small amounts for a big flavor boost.

Danger zone: Americanized dishes like double-cheese pizza or gooey lasagna tend to be loaded with fat and calories, Largeman-Roth says.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Tomato and Bread Soup

7. Spanish
Our judges applaud the Spanish tradition of eating tapas (small plates of food): “I love the idea of being able to sample little portions of tasty, healthful foods and making a dinner of it,” Largeman-Roth says. The Spanish eat tons of fresh seafood, vegetables, and olive oil-all rock stars when it comes to your weight and well-being.

Superhealthy dishes to order: gazpacho (full of cancer-fighting lycopene and antioxidants) and paella (rich in fresh seafood, rice, and veggies).

Danger zone: Avoid fatty sausages and fried items, which can show up on tapas menus in the United States.

Try this recipe: Heirloom Gazpacho

8. Mexican
Forget those high-fat, calorie-stuffed options at many popular Mexican restaurants: Authentic Mexican cuisine can be heart-healthy and even slimming, our judges say. In fact, a Mexican diet of beans, soups, and tomato-based sauces helped lower women’s risk of breast cancer, a study from the University of Utah found. (Work this healthy ingredient into your diet in the most delicious way possible with Bittman’s Black Bean Cakes with Queso Fresco, at left.)

And the cuisine’s emphasis on slowly digested foods like beans and fresh ground corn may provide protection from type 2 diabetes. “Slow-release carbohydrates have been shown to lower blood sugar and even help reverse diabetes,” Dr. Miller says.

Danger zone: It can be easy to overeat rich queso dip; keep fat and calories in check by portioning a little out of the dip bowl.

Try this recipe: Mark Bittman’s Black Bean Cakes with Queso Fresco

9. South American
With 12 countries within its borders, South America has a very diverse culinary repertoire. But our judges applaud the continent’s traditional diet of fresh fruits and vegetables (including legumes) along with high-protein grains like quinoa. In fact, a typical South American meal of rice and beans creates a perfect protein, Largeman-Roth says.

While some parts of South America are famous for their huge steaks, a healthier option (unless you share the steak with friends) is ceviche. This melange of fresh seafood boasts a variety of healthful spices and ingredients, from cilantro and chile peppers to tomatoes and onions.

Danger zone: Brazilian or Argentine restaurants often have fried items like sausage, yams, and bananas. If you’re trying to lose pounds, steer clear or split an order with the table.

Try this recipe: Scallop Ceviche

10. Thai
Can a soup fight cancer? If it’s a Thai favorite called Tom Yung Gung, the answer just might be yes. Made with shrimp, coriander, lemongrass, ginger, and other herbs and spices used in Thai cooking, the soup was found to possess properties 100 times more effective than other antioxidants in inhibiting cancerous-tumor growth. Researchers at Thailand’s Kasetsart University and Japan’s Kyoto and Kinki Universities became interested in the soup’s immune-boosting qualities after noticing that the incidence of digestive tract and other cancers was lower in Thailand than in other countries.

Many common Thai spices have feel-great benefits, our judges point out. Ginger aids in digestion, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and lemongrass has long been used in Asian medicine to help treat colds and ease tummy troubles.

Danger zone: When you’re eating out, avoid soups with coconut milk because they’re high in saturated fat (and calories).

Try this recipe: Thai Chicken Barley Risotto

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My Grandparents both passed away this last April. Their deaths were unexpected: Both were pretty healthy for being 80 years old, and had just returned from spending the winter with my parents in San Diego, which they’ve been doing every year for the last 15 years. My Grandma had a stroke one spring afternoon while out tending her garden, and a week later, my Grandpa passed away of a heart attack. It’s a blessing that neither of them suffered, that they didn’t have to endure years of failing health and illness, that they lived together in their home until the end, and that they were surrounded by family in the days and weeks before they passed. But these blessings come with the sadnesses of unanticipated loss: There are so many things I never got to ask them, never got to learn, never got to understand about their histories, and their lives together.

Like most people, a lot of my family memories revolve around shared meals and food: beer cheese soup and summer sausage sandwiches every Christmas Eve; baking pies with Grandma in the summer and anticipating the scraps of dough, baked with cinnamon and sugar, as a treat; watching Grandpa grind potatoes with his old hand-cranked grinder for his famous potato pancakes; dusting Grandma’s funnel cakes, fresh out of the fryer, with powdered sugar; spreading peanut butter and honey over fried bread dough and calling it dinner. And even though I have countless kitchen memories shared with them, when I came across my Grandma’s ring of faded and smudged recipe cards in her kitchen last spring, I realized how many more family stories there were to share that I am never going to know about. Grandma’s recipes were the only thing I really wanted when my aunts and uncles started cleaning out their house.

When I got those recipe cards in a box from my mom a few months later, I couldn’t bring myself to look through them right away. I set the box aside, until my mom came to visit a few weeks ago, and mentioned a spice cake that she wanted to make.

I’d never heard of this spice cake, but apparently, whenever Grandma and Grandpa went to visit her mother, my Great Grandma Jankord, Grandma Jankord made this cake, and it was Grandpa’s favorite. My mom doesn’t remember her own mother ever making this cake. And right there, I realized there was another story I’d never really know. But what I could know was this spice cake, so we decided to make it.

I can see why it was Grandpa’s favorite. It’s dense and moist and smells of fall and upcoming holidays. The frosting is buttery and tastes faintly of caramel, and a little of maple. My mom said when she had it, it was baked to be more like a bar than a cake: thinner and a little crispier at the edges. That might explain why the center of this cake collapsed a bit and needed some extra oven time to bake completely through. No matter, it still tastes wonderful.

The frosting is not particularly stiff, and so it, too, might have worked out better if these were baked as bars, rather than a cake. There was a lot of drippage, and now that I think about it, it’s really more of a glaze. But I could have forgone the cake completely and eaten this frosting with a spoon. It would probably be terrific drizzled on top of cinnamon rolls or scones, for a special caramel flavor.

Here is Grandma’s original recipe card:

Helen Jankord’s Spice Cake

For the cake

• 1 cup butter or shortening (I used unsalted butter)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

For the frosting/glaze

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream together the butter and sugar (an electric mixer is a godsend for this). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly.

Stir together the flour, cocoa, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice, and stir into the egg and butter mixture. Beat in the buttermilk and baking soda.

Spread into an 8 x 12 inch baking pan (I used a 9 x 9 inch pan). Baking for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. We had some funny problems with the center baking through but the edges not, and some collapsing, and ended up needing to bake it for close to an hour. But it turned out alright in the end, so don’t worry if things seem a little…off.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and the milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for about two minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.

Once the butter mixture is cooled, beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. My Grandma says the texture is greatly improved by using an electric mixer. Once it’s thickened a bit and the sugar is well mixed in, spread it (or pour it) over the top of the cake. Let it set, then cut into slices (or bars, like a brownie).

I plan to cook a lot more of the recipes from my Grandma’s kitchen, and even if I don’t know her stories behind them, I will be able to create my own stories around them, share them with you, and hopefully someday pass them down to my own family. And that is really the best part about cooking. Well, that and eating delicious things like this cake.

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