By Karen Collins

Q: How are edamame served?

A: Smaller than lima beans, edamame (eh-dah-MAH-meh) are immature (green) soybeans, which can be served in or out of their pods after being cooked. If served in their pods, pop the beans out to eat.

You can add edamame to soups during the last 10 minutes of simmering, or toss them into stir-fries.

Steam or simmer them and add them to salads, too. Their texture holds up better than peas in casseroles, and they make small portions highly satisfying. Edamame can even substitute for all or part of the meat you might use in many dishes.

In Japan and China, edamame are popular as a snack.

You can find edamame fresh or frozen at Asian, health food and many regular grocery stores. While they look like a vegetable, they have the nutritional content of a meat substitute.

A half-cup of cooked beans contains 11 grams of protein and four grams of fiber. Although they have the nutrients and phytochemicals found in all soy foods, their flavor is buttery and nutty, much like baby lima beans.

Q: How nutritious are parsnips?

A: Parsnips, which are shaped like carrots and close to white in color, are an excellent way to add variety to your vegetable repertoire. Because parsnips have a sweet, nutty flavor, they are perfect for people who dislike bitterness in vegetables. A half-cup serving of cooked parsnips is a good source of dietary fiber. It also provides both vitamin C and folate. When you buy parsnips, look for smooth and firm ones, avoiding any that are shriveled or flabby. Peeled parsnip chunks will cook in the microwave in only four minutes, or you can steam them in eight to 10. They are wonderful roasted with other root vegetables such as carrots. As you transition to eating less meat and more vegetables for a healthy eating style, you can also add parsnips to soups and stews during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking, or mix them into casseroles.

Q: Will I lose more body fat with low-intensity or vigorous exercise?

A: Despite claims that manufacturers make for some exercise videos and workout equipment - describing low-intensity exercise as “fat-burning” exercise - if you have too much body fat, you’ve stored excess calories.

To lose the excess fat, you’ve got to burn more calories than you take in.

Although a higher proportion of the calories you burn in low-intensity exercise, such as walking, comes from fat, research clearly shows that in an equal period of time vigorous exercise, such as running, burns so many more calories that it also burns more total fat. However, vigorous exercise may not be the better choice for you. If you’re out of shape, pushing yourself to work out vigorously will limit how long you exercise and, consequently, the number of calories you can burn.

When exercise is painful or unenjoyable, it’s also tough to make it a lifetime habit. And making physical activity a habit is important for long-term weight control and good health. In addition, pushing yourself too hard can risk your life. If lower-intensity exercise is a comfortable match for you, just remember that the lower the intensity of your activity, the more time you will need to put in to burn that excess body fat.

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends aiming for an hour a day of moderate exercise like brisk walking and an hour a week of vigorous exercise.

- Collins is a registered dietitian for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Nutrition Wise