Chili Lime Edamame

A popular bar snack in Japan, edamame is one of the few plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids. It also breaks the veggie rules when it comes to energy-boosting iron, delivering 22 percent of your daily needs — that’s more than double the iron of a 3-ounce flank steak. You’ll also get plenty of bone-building calcium as well as magnesium, a mineral that may boost athletic performance. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that low magnesium can zap energy during exercise. Fun to eat hot and cold, edamame has another weight-loss trick up its … pod: It delivers a whopping 7 grams of filling fiber per cup.

Chili Lime Edamame Recipe

Ready in 10 minutes | Makes 1 serving

• 1 cup frozen edamame in their pods
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add edamame, reduce heat and cook until bright green, two to four minutes. Drain. You can skip this step by thawing the edamame in a strainer at room temperature for an hour.
2. Heat the tamari, sriracha and balsamic vinegar in a pan over medium-high heat, one minute. Stir in the edamame and cook two minutes. Top with a squeeze of lime and sesame seeds and serve.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 207 calories, 10 g total fats, 0.5 g saturated fat, 348 mg sodium, 16 g total carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 13.5 g protein

Pick It: Like soy sauce, tamari is made from fermented soybeans, but it’s slightly thicker, more flavorful and contains no (or little) wheat.

Iron Up: Cooking in a cast-iron skillet can increase the iron content of your food.

Spice It Up: If you like it hot, up the sriracha; just keep in mind each teaspoon adds 100 milligrams sodium.

Serve It: This snack works as both an on-the-go muncher and a hot-off-the-pan party appetizer.