Benefits of Eating Tofu

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Tofu has many health benefits - try some :)

To most people, tofu is a bland tasting, simple looking, texture-less blob that are only eaten by vegetarians. The truth of the matter is that if prepared properly, Tofu is actually one of the most versatile, flavorful and nutritious food there is. Not only can Tofu be created in a variety of textures, consistencies and flavors, but it also far exceeds the nutritional value of most meat dishes.

You don't have to be a vegetarian to consider adding tofu to your diet. If you love rich flavors then tofu can be an exciting addition to your diet as it can soak up flavors of any ingredient and can be prepared in multiple ways with a variety of textures that can delight your taste buds.

Tofu is also often substituted and used as mock meat. Tofu can be made to feel and taste like chicken, turkey, beef and even seafood. So if you are a vegetarian and would like to know what chicken tastes like, you can have mock chicken made with tofu.

Asians have been using tofu in their cooking for thousands of years and have a multitude of recipes, cooking techniques and eating traditions that make tofu an enjoyable and easily accessible food choice. Many ethnic Indian, Chinese and Japanese dishes use tofu cooked and spices in a variety of ways.

I find tofu to be a very exciting food and I do enjoy eating tofu cooked in different recipes. It tastes great and is good for the health. I invite you to read on to learn more about tofu - how it is made, benefits of eating tofu, some tofu recipes and more tofu related information.

Health Benefits of Eating Tofu

see how good it is for you

Believe it or not, but tofu is extremely nutritious and has many health benefits. Just eating two grams of it daily can help your body reduce the cholesterol it absorbs by more than 10% from other unhealthy foods.

Tofu is low in fat, calories and cholesterol. It is also an excellent source of high quality protein from non-meat foods.

Tofu is also rich in B-vitamins and contains a lot of calcium. Calcium helps in the prevention of osteoporosis - thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density.

Tofu is also friendly to your digestive system as it is easy to digest due to the removal of soybean's fiber during the manufacturing process.

Most soy-foods, including tofu, helps in the reduction of cholesterol in our body. It helps maintain the level of good HDL cholesterol by lowering the levels of bad LDL cholesterol.

Tofu is rich in isoflavones. Isoflavones reduces risk osteoporosis, breast and prostate cancers.

Yummmmy!!! 

How is Tofu Made?

how to make tofu

Tofu Poll

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Different Types of Tofu

there are 3 main types of Tofu

Types of TofuTofu has been made and consumed by Asians for thousands of years. Asians have long known about the nutritional benefits Tofu has. Tofu is also a very versatile food and be shaped, textured and flavored in variety of ways. Because tofu by itself is a very bland tasting food, it can absorb flavors of any ingredient it is cooked with.

Tofu is sold in water-filled packs or in aseptic cartons. Fresh tofu is usually packaged in water and should be refrigerated and kept in water until used.

Tofu are often made dense so that it can be cut in cubes or other shapes and used for stir-fried, pickled, smoked, scrambled, grilled, barbecued and served in hot and cold soups. This type of tofu is called Firm Tofu and it is higher in protein, fats and calcium than other types of tofu.

Tofu are also made to be soft for use in recipes where tofu needs to be blended. This type of tofu is called Soft Tofu.

Another type of tofu is called Silken Tofu. Silken tofu has a creamy structure and is mostly used for blends or blended dishes.

Would you like to try some tofu?

A selrction of tofu and tofu cooking recipes you can buy online.
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Nutritional Values of Tofu

Tofu is an excellent source of high quality protein and and contains some B-vitamins. If calcium sulphate is used as coagulant then the tofu will be rich source of calcium. As all whole soya products, tofu also contains isoflavones. Isoflavones helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, breast and prostate cancer and also menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and mood swings.

Nutrional values of tofu (per 100g):

Water 83.7 g
Energy 77.0 kcal
Energy 322 kJ
Protein 8.0 g
Fat (total lipid) 4.5 g
Fatty acids, saturated 0.65 g
Fatty acids, mono-unsaturated 0.99 g
Fatty acids, poly-unsaturated 2.5 g
Carbohydrates 3.0 g
Fiber 0.4 g
Ash 0.84 g
Isoflavones 35.0 mg
Calcium, Ca 162.0 mg
Iron, Fe 1.45 mg
Magnesium, Mg 46.0 mg
Phosphorus, Mg 147.0 mg
Potassium, K 176.0 mg
Sodium, Na 8.0 mg
Zinc, Zn 1.0 mg
Copper, Cu 0.24 mg
Manganese, Mn 0.72 mg
Selenium, Se 9.4 µg
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 0.20 mg
Thiamin (vitamin B1) 0.093 mg
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 0.10 mg
Niacin (vitamin B3) 0.01 mg
Panthotenic acid (vitamin B5) 0.065 mg
Vitamin B6 0.061 mg
Folic acid 33 µg
Vitamin B12 0.0 µg
Vitamin A 1.0 µg

[Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference]

Love Tofu or Hate it? Why?

What are your thoughts on Tofu?

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I love Tofu

veryirie says:

We eat a lot of tofu in Hawaii. Love it!

naheedahsan says:

I like it.

Woulff says:

Yum Yum! It's such a versatile, healthy food and takes on so many flavours!

russell H says:

is the food of champions

VKumar says:

I like it. Became fond of it during my stay in Tokyo.

I can't stand it

LizMac60 says:

I've only had it once and it was the tasteless blob sort, but now you have convinced me to try it again.

darciefrench says:

You make tofu look good... -:)

Tipi says:

Maybe I haven't had it prepared properly.

Jhangora says:

I was in S Korea for three years and had Tofu a few times, didn't really like it.

Tommy says:

Flavourless crap

 
view all 42 comments

Tofu/Soya Photos

041/366 by anokarina
Noodles w/tofu & green curry - Fideos chinos con tofu y curry verde by La.blasco
roasted vegetables and tofu by coziest
leftover stirfry by Shockingly Tasty
February 11, 2012 by sleepyneko
Tofu and cashew stir fry by sermoa
Almond Tofu @Empire Plaza by Rollofunk
chinese-new-years-eve-20120122-S0288321.jpg by roland
vegetable and tofu stir-fry by Shockingly Tasty
vegetable and tofu stir-fry by Shockingly Tasty
automatically generated by Flickr

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Vegetarian Diet, Weight Loss and LifeStyle Resources

Soya - Information about Soy and Soya Products
This is a wonderful site. Very informative. You can learn all about Tofu and other Soya products from here.
Vegetarian Diet Info
Diet And Weight Loss Advice For Vegetarians.
Vegetarian Cooking Made Easy
A Step By Step Guide To A Vegetarian Lifestyle.
Quick & Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking
Easy, Healthy, And Delicious Chinese Vegetarian Cookbook Package. Complete Chinese Vegetarian Guide With 400 Pages.
Vegetarian Secrets Exposed
A Quick And Easy Guide To Vegetarian & Vegan Living ... Plus Veggie Recipes, Insider Tips & Secrets Revealed.
Yoga Weight Loss Secrets
Natural, Sustained Weight Loss Based On Yoga, Meditation And Vegetarian Diet.
The Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society is a registered charity committed to promoting the health, environmental and animal welfare benefits of a vegetarian diet.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)
Vegetarian recipes and nutrition information. The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarian lifestyle.
Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes, Articles, Health Resource
Vegetarian and vegan recipes, discussion boards, articles, information from medical doctors, experts and nutritionists, and a community of people who share ...

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