If I were forced to go vegan for some reason, I’d just eat hummus, falafel and majadra every meal; it’ll be monotonous, yet tasty.
Hummus and falafel both being ground chickpeas.
I second (or third) the answer that PR had something to do with soy’s success. I’ve also noticed the desire for “complete protein” played a strong role. The idea of having to mix two things seems too complicated for most people. Lastly, the American diet is based on just one carb source. Think about it, we’d never mix rice, potatoes, or pasta. Perogies are the closest we’d get. So having to mix rice, beans, lentils is counter intuitive to most.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned farts yet. Maybe they don’t affect you that way, but in my family, a meal of beans is always followed by an organ recital.
Strange question. Most people like variety in their diet, and soy (which is a bean anyway) provides some variety. It doesn’t mean they never eat other types of beans. It’s like asking ‘why do people eat so much chicken when other meats exist? Why not just eat sausage and chips every day?’
Variety and balance are good. Singling out certain foods as miraculous or the source of evil typically is foolish.
I wouldn’t “obsess” about soy, either for its purported health benefits or potential downside in certain subsets of people. Just don’t cram the stuff down like there’s no tomorrow.
“Eat less. Mostly plants.”*
*Source: Michael Pollan.
Assuming that when people talk about eating soy, they mean eating it in the form of tofu, I prefer beans for a somewhat goofball reason. I believe (although I don’t always practice this) that you’re better off eating less processed food. So a meal made of dried rice and dried beans is less processed than one made from tofu, which is soy that’s been processed. (Of course, by this theory, you’re better off eating a beef hamburger instead of a Gardenburger so it may be, as I said, a goofball idea.)
I don’t know about that, tofu is just basically the bean equivalent of a solid yogurt block (i.e. soy bean milk coagulated.) What is it that makes processing of something “worse for you?”
And there’s nothing intrinsically less healthy about ground beef than a slab of beef. Now, in practice when beef is ground up for burger making it is often only 75% lean, because anything higher than that and it isn’t the best option for burger. I enjoy a good sirloin burger, which usually is 90% lean or more, but I’ve always stood by the full on fatty 75% lean ground beef for a classic American hamburger. The fat just gives it better properties as a burger.
But aside from that culinary preference, you could just grind up beef and have it be 92%-100% lean and not have any fat at all, in that case it’d be no different nutritionally than any other piece of beef with no fat on it. Grinding it in that case is just the equivalent of cutting it up a lot before putting it in your mouth. And of course when it goes into your mouth it ends up getting heavily masticated assuming you chew your food properly…
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
The beef about processed food is that food in its natural state is packaged with a lot of vitamins and nutrients all in one lump, which is better than eating concentrated bits of just-one-thing which causes your body to pull the necessary vitamins and nutrients from its stores to digest it.
Or so I’ve heard. The example I was given was fructose. Supposedly, all of the vitamins and minerals needed for the body to process fructose are present in an apple. Eat an apple = have everything you need. Eat a spoonful of sugar = body dips into its stores to process it.
Here’s a study that found that tofu consumption makes you stupid:
[minor nitpick] Actually, there is a Midwestern chicken (or beef) and egg noodle dish that is usually served over mashed potatoes. I’m sure there must be other two-carb dishes but, yeah, usually it’s only one starch at a time in the American diet. [/nit]
There are many two-carb dishes and even more common meals that include multiple carbs side-by-side (think biscuits or dinner rolls beside potatoes or rice, for example).
side effect of producing extra gas? 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=soybean-fertility-hormone-isoflavones-genistein
Soy is also considered a goitrogen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen In my case, I cannot process it because I no longer have a thyroid, so I try to limit it in my diet as much as possible. Not an easy task, considering how ubiquitous soy is in the American diet.
Hamburger (bun) and fries.
Turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes.
Prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, baked potato.
Fish (coating) and chips.
Pasta and garlic bread.
Peach cobbler and ice cream?
This. Just because you don’t eat meat, are trying to eat less meat, or are poor doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate variety in your diet.
I’m trying to get more beans into my and Mr. Neville’s diets (watch out downwind). I aim for at least one bean-based or tofu-based dinner per week.
The quote is, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
See post #28.