A soy food promotion increases the usage and perception of soy foods in a rural, midwestern college community

A Soyfood Outreach Project team was formed to organize activities that would lead to an increased perception and consumption of soy products in the Southern Illinois area. The team planned and implemented activities that increased the information on soy products available through partnering with local media, having a soy food recipe contest, and hosting a soy food luncheon. At the luncheon and one-year following the luncheon surveys of the participants were done. The surveys were used to collect demographic information about those who participated in the luncheon and their consumption of soy foods and any changes that occurred as a result of the project. As a result of the project, it was found that the variety and the frequency of soyfoods increased. Respondents to the follow-up survey indicated that the variety of soy products consumed tripled from consuming only one product prior to attending the luncheon to consuming three different products after attending the luncheon. In addition, the respondents were eating soyfoods more frequently, consuming soy foods 9.6 times per week after the luncheon compared to only 3.1 times per week prior to the luncheon.