Dora the Explorer is my edamame.

I tend to stay away from soy-based products mostly because many of them tend to be highly processed. Enter edamame. It’s the real deal.

Edamame are young soybeans harvested at the peak of ripeness when they have just the right crunch and nutty flavor. They are loaded with healthy amino acids, protein, and are low in saturated fats. All good things, in my book.

A few years ago, while attending a Food Marketing Institute conference with Caryn Neidel (my friend and former Stop & Shop Supermarkets marketing goddess) we discovered Seapoint Farms Edamame. Seapoint Farms decided to package edamame in kid-friendly, individually wrapped packets appealing to parents who want to give their kids a healthy snack at home or in their lunch boxes. And to entice kids into eating something green and good for you they slapped SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer on the labels. Brilliant!

You can still find these healthy snack-packs in the organic section of many grocery store freezers. When you find them, you’ll discover you have two options: buy them in the pod or already shelled. Keep the edamame frozen and then toss them into your lunch box, briefcase, purse, or backpack and by lunch or snack time they’ll be thawed and ready to enjoy.