Soybeans in and of themselves are quite healthy with amazing benefits. It's when soybeans become processed and aren't in their original form that there can be problems. Manufacturers remove the helpful plant chemicals, as well as the fiber, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. That leaves behind almost pure soy protein which is what is found in a lot of "fake" soy foods. Some of the names of this soy protein are defatted soy flour, textured soy flour, textured vegetable protein (tvp), isolated soy protein, and soy protein concentrates. Because concentrated protein is not good for health, foods with this type of soy in them don't resemble the healthy way nature intended soybeans to be used. So when you are reading lables, if something is made from soybeans (like soymilk, soy yogurt, tofu, etc.), then it's generally going to be ok or even healthy. But if it's made from the isolated soy protein, then it's probably not that great. This is a good article about it.
In our family we use the fake meats for special occasions, barbecues, etc. but stay away from them for normal cooking. Sometimes the kids just need to have "hotdogs" (morningstar is the best brand, if you were wondering) but we try to limit it. The fake meats are also very useful for transitioning over to eating less real meat, so I guess they aren't all bad!
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