My husband grew up in a house where meals were more often meat and potato with a small side of an uninspiring vegetable (oh please let my mother-in-law please not hate me!). It wasn’t until he met me, the salad lover and avocado aficionado that I am, that he too started to develop a “like” for vegetables. His passion for everything vegetables definitely didn’t go as far as mine, but he was willing to try more than just baby le sueur canned peas and brown butter carrots. And as his vegetable repertoire grew, believe it or not so did his taste for the holiest of vegetarian dishes- TOFU! But, because tofu is so verstitle (from steaming it, to simply grilling it or baking it with a variety of different sauces), he couldn’t help but to sheepishly admit he really enjoyed it as a meal!
But, how healthy is tofu? From soybean to bean curd, tofu requires three main ingredients: soybeans, water and a coagulant. First, the soybeans are processed with water to make soymilk. Next, the soymilk is simmered with coagulants, such as nigari (seawater extract) or calcium sulfate, until the curds begin to separate. Lastly, the curds are strained out and pressed into a solid block. The longer the curds are pressed, the less water the resulting tofu contains. There are several different types of tofu: silken, soft, medium, firm, extra firm and super firm. Each of these are classified by the amount of water they contain—silken tofu has the most while super firm has the least. Tofu is an excellent plant protein source. However, it’s not a great source of fiber. Infact, it’s relatively low. How is this possible when soybeans pack a wealth of fiber? This is because soybeans actually lose the majority of their fiber when they're processed into tofu. In order to get fiber when you're eating tofu, make sure you're pairing it with fiber-rich foods like avocados, sweet potatoes and quinoa.
While research around tofu is still unfolding, I believe that it can be part of a healthy diet. Yes, packaged tofu is technically a “processed” food, but it can help those who follow a vegetarian, vegan or dairy-free diet meet their daily protein or calcium needs. Like everything else in life, moderation is the key ingredient! Click here for a healthy tofu recipe! And for more information, contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com