History of soyabeans is as old over 4000 years, over 2000 years before birth of Christ. In India Madhya Pradesh tops the list of soyabean producing states. Nearly 88 % of soyabean is produced in the state. During 1997-98 total soyabean production in the state was 49.19 metric tonnes which was about 84.2 % of the total produce but since then the production has gone up because of the more agriculture area coverage.

Thus soyabeans not only provides protein rich balanced food for various category of people of various age groups but also the safe, healthy, nutritive food as an alternative to number of food material.

Soya is usually discussed as a single entity, a particular food, but soya is consumed in numerous forms, each of which has its own nutrient profile. For example, dry roasted soyabeans are often consumed as a snack food and are a good source of fiber; however, liquid soya products, such as soya milk, commonly used as a substitute for cow's milk, contain no fiber at all. Soya oil is sometimes hydrogenated during processing and contains more saturated fatty acids than the unprocessed form of the oil. Boiled soyabeans and tofu are good sources of calcium, but the calcium content of soya milk varies greatly, depending on the brand one purchases. As you will see, soya is a versatile food, but we can reap its great benefits only by knowing the best ways to use it.