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2019 Best Food Facts TASTE Tour Recap

09/25/2019

Best Food Facts recently invited nine influencers to Ocean City, Maryland, to tour to discover all they could about soybeans and soy foods, from tofu and edamame to vegetable oil.

Best Food Facts TASTE Tour influencers were challenged to discover where the foods came from and how the processing happened. Touring farms, soy processing facility, influencers witnessed sprawling fields of produce, met the farmers, and watched soybeans be processed to make different products.

ICYMI, soy is a plant-based source of protein that is in many favorite dishes. But grocery shoppers still have questions about soy. Does it contain estrogen? Has soy been linked to breast cancer? These are just a few of the many questions the 2019 TASTE Tour aimed to answer. With the help of experts — including Julie Garden-Robinson from the BFF expert network — bloggers went home with not only a refreshed outlook on soy and soy foods but also an inspired approach on how to incorporate more soy into their daily lives. Want to know more about the experience? Check out this video:

#BestFoodFacts

Spending three days in Ocean City, Maryland, bloggers followed soybeans from the farm to the processing plant and beyond to the dinner table. They had the opportunity to taste, hold, interact and eat soybeans. Bloggers learned about the growing and harvesting process, saw where the soybeans arrived at the processing facility to be processed, refined and turned into oil. They also enjoyed gourmet meals that featured soybean products.

Scroll on to hear more from the influencers themselves about their #BestFoodFacts TASTE Tour experience:

I had such a great time in Maryland learning about soybeans. It was not something I really knew about before this trip. Now I’m excited to incorporate more soy products into our diets. It is such a great source of protein, which should definitely help me fill up my growing teenage boy!– Erin Sellin, Dinners, Dishes & Desserts
I’m not proud to admit that I truly knew very little about soybeans, what products are derived from soy, and the health benefits before my trip. My mind was BLOWN and I’ll never look at a little soybean plant the same way again. Soy is such an under-appreciated source of vitamins and minerals, and has zero cholesterol. It’s truly heart healthy, and is so much more than just soy sauce. – Becky Hardin, The Cookie Rookie
I love cooking with soy. I grew up eating foods like tofu, Asian-style soy milk, tofu skins, edamame, and miso. They are my comfort food. Although I’ve eaten soy practically my entire life, I had little knowledge about how they’re grown and processed. That’s why I was incredibly excited when Best Food Facts invited me to their 2019 TASTE tour in Ocean City, Maryland, to learn more about soybean farming and production. – Lisa Lin, Healthy Nibbles
On my two-day soybean tour, I learned a TON. My head is still processing all the things that I learned about soy farming and the technology that is used to make it such a sustainable and healthy food source. – Lisa Longly, Wine and Glue
Up until this point, I hadn’t ever really given soy much thought. However, it’s been another food source I have taken for granted until now. – Lynne Feifer, 365 Days of Baking & More
One of my favorite parts of the trip was learning about the many health benefits of soybeans. They’re naturally cholesterol-free and high in protein and fiber. They’re also rich in B vitamins, phosphorus, and iron. The nutritionist we met with was able to put to rest some of the myths and concerns surrounding soy, and I can absolutely say I’m excited to introduce more soy into my cooking! – Cathy Trochelman, Lemon Tree Dwelling
I grew up eating soy as a child and as an adult, I do have a lot of soy in my diet. From soy milk to tofu and soy sauce, it’s in my regular cooking. I had an awesome opportunity to work with Best Food Facts. – Julie Tran Deily, The Little Kitchen
Before my trip to Maryland, I did not know very much about soy and the many health benefits that it provides. I am excited to incorporate more soyfoods into our family meals and snacks. – Jocelyn Brubaker, Inside BruCrew Life
Soy is good for you! It is a delicious, wholesome plant, that has gotten a bad rap, but that has been consumed for centuries by some of the world’s healthiest populations and has a lot to offer nutritionally. – Rachael Yerkes, Eazy Peazy Mealz