Edamame

Cats need no legumes, so crushed, shelled, well-cooked edamame is at most a novel treat with a trace of plant protein and fibre.

A little crushed edamame now and then, never instead of the main diet, and within about 10% of daily energy intake.

Shell the pods, boil until **thoroughly cooked**, then crush or chop finely with no salt, oil or seasoning.

**Raw soybeans are harmful to cats too**, since trypsin inhibitors and lectins must be destroyed by cooking; pods and whole beans choke, so shell and crush them; **salted edamame is out**, and cats need animal tissue for protein.

Edamame is immature soybean, and once cooked through it brings plant protein and fibre at a modest calorie cost, so shelled chopped beans work as an occasional treat.

Keep it to a small treat inside the daily allowance and within about 10% of daily energy intake, with complete dog food as the main diet.

**Shell the pods**, boil the beans until **thoroughly cooked** (raw soybeans hold trypsin inhibitors and lectins), then crush or chop them; use plain water-boiled beans only, with no oil, salt, five-spice or garlic.

**Raw and undercooked soybeans cause vomiting and diarrhoea**, so always cook them through; pods are fibrous and whole beans choke, so shell and chop them; **salted edamame carries far too much salt**, and **soy is a common allergen**.