Know2eat

Okara

Glycine max

What okara has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About okara

The insoluble pulp left after soybeans are ground and strained to make soy milk and tofu. Treated as a waste stream at industrial scale but cooked as a dish in its own right in Japan and Korea, where it is stewed with vegetables.

Also known as Soy pulp, Unohana, Biji, Tofu lees

Gut & Digestive HealthHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Bowel regularity

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Has been studied as a concentrated insoluble fibre source, and the general fibre literature supports stool bulking. Trials using okara itself are few and small.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

There is not enough human research on okara and blood lipids to draw a conclusion. The few trials are small, and results reported for soy protein or soy fibre products do not transfer directly to this pulp.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Okara

Ask about Okara

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories76 kcal4%
Protein3.52 g7%
Total fat1.73 g2%
Carbohydrate12.2 g4%
Water81.6 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.193 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.295 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.755 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.666 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.02 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.1 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.088 mg2%
Vitamin B60.115 mg7%
Folate26 µg7%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium80 mg6%
Iron1.3 mg7%
Magnesium26 mg6%
Phosphorus60 mg5%
Potassium213 mg5%
Sodium9 mg0%
Zinc0.56 mg5%
Copper0.2 mg22%
Manganese0.404 mg18%
Selenium10.6 µg19%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.88 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Okara (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172452).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Soy allergy

    Okara is soybean pulp and carries soy protein, so it is unsuitable for anyone with soy allergy.

  • Worth knowing

    Spoils very fast

    Fresh okara is wet, protein-rich and near-neutral in pH, which makes it perishable within a day or two under refrigeration. It is one of the readier foods to sour, and commercial handling relies on drying or immediate use.

  • Worth knowing

    A large fibre load

    Okara is mostly insoluble cell-wall fibre. Adding a lot of it at once to a low-fibre diet commonly causes bloating and abdominal discomfort until the gut adapts.