I certainly did not grow up eating tofu, and turned up my nose when someone mentioned it. I definitely had the wrong idea that tofu was some squishy, tasteless substance only “earthy” people ate. I specifically remember there being plain tofu on the salad bar my freshman year of college, and having one friend eat it. I thought she was a little odd, and that definitely confirmed it for me at the time.
Flash forward to me swearing off animal-based foods and falling in love with the versatility of tofu. Whereas I used to be like the stubborn Cat in the Hat character in Green Eggs (sub tofu) and Ham (vegan ham, of course), I am now like Sam I Am, and the pusher of tofu on all skeptics.
Tofu, like edamame, tempeh, miso, and soy milk, is packed with nutrients! And, no soy does not cause cancer or give men boobs (sorry, Dana, it does not give women boobs, either)! The truth is that there are many health benefits for those who incorporate whole soy foods (edamame, tempeh, and miso) and minimally processed soy foods (tofu, soy milk) into their diets including:
A single serving of tofu (3 ounces) is just 80 calories, and provides 8 grams of protein. It is naturally cholesterol free (as are all beans), low in sodium, and contains iron, potassium, calcium (look for tofu made with calcium - you can tell by reading the ingredients), and zinc. I recommend buying organic tofu (and other soy products), which should be easy to find in any food market.
My family loves crispy tofu - watch how we make it here!
Recipe for crispy tofu:
Ingredients: 1 14-ounce block of extra firm tofu (organic if possible), About 1 cup of bread crumbs (sub corn meal if gluten free), 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, About 1/4 cup of coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg’s liquid aminos)
Directions: Take the tofu out of its package, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and place something heavy on top of it to press out extra moisture. I usually press the tofu for 15-ish minutes. If using an oven to bake the tofu, preheat it to 375 degrees. Once the tofu is pressed, slice it into cubes. Pour coconut aminos into a shallow dish, and mix bread crumbs and seasonings in a separate shallow dish. Coat the tofu with the coconut aminos, and then toss the cubes into the bread crumb mixture. Place breaded cubes on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Put into the oven for 15 minutes, flip the tofu, and put back into the oven for another 15 or so minutes. Alternately, you can air fry the tofu, which is what I do and love! In the air fryer, the tofu is done in 12-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes. And extra crispy, just how I like it!