The soy bean has for years formed the staple nitrogenous diet of the people of the Orient; in fact, a handful of rice and a few soy beans constitute the daily food of two-thirds of the East Indians, Chinese and Japanese.

As these beans contain less starch than ordinary beans, they can be used in mild diabetic cases.

To cook: Soak the given quantity over night, throw away the water, cover them with fresh cold water, bring to a boil, throw this water away, cook in fresh boiling water until tender, and press through a sieve. This is soy pulp.

A preparation of soy flour may be purchased in cartons, but as I know nothing whatever about the quality of the flour, I prefer to use the pulp from beans boiled and pressed through a sieve. The flour saves time and trouble, but in feeding the sick this is of secondary consideration.

Soy Bean Rolls

After the beans have been drained and pressed through a colander, season them with butter and salt, form into rolls about three inches long, twice the size of your finger; stand them on oiled paper, brush with milk and brown in a quick oven. Serve with Cream Sauce Number Two.

One roll is sufficient for the "meat" portion of a meal.

Soy Gems

Separate two eggs, beat the yolks until light, add a half cupful of milk, a saltspoonful of salt, a half cupful of the soy pulp. Beat, add a teaspoonful of baking powder and fold in the well-beaten whites of the eggs; turn at once into greased gem pans and bake in a quick oven. They should be eaten like spoon bread, with a fork. If gems are left over, pull them into halves and toast carefully to a golden brown.

I find these muffins or gems one of the most valuable bread substitutes for diabetic patients. Two gems, with a lettuce salad with French dressing made from lemon juice, make a nice luncheon or supper.

Do not add shortening in the form of butter or oil to the gems, as it makes them more difficult of digestion.

Soy Bean Wafers

Put a half cupful of the soy bean pulp into a bowl, add a half teaspoonful of salt, twenty-four blanched almonds ground fine, and one egg well beaten. Drop by tablespoon-fuls on greased paper and bake until crisp and brown. Masticate thoroughly.

Soy Breakfast Cakes

Put a half cupful of soy pulp into a bowl, add a half teaspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of milk, and fold in the well-beaten yolks of two eggs. Drop by tablespoonfuls in greased pans and bake in a quick oven fifteen minutes. To eat, split with a fork and put on a little butter.

Soy breads of various kinds may be given to diabetic patients once a day, unless they produce undesirable results.