As health consciousness, environmentalism and the economy converge to shake up our lifestyles, it seems like a no-brainer to add tofu dishes to the menu—and not just as an alternative for vegetarians, but as a featured part of any restaurant’s fare.
Tofu’s health benefits were recognized centuries ago in the East and have slowly been gaining popularity in the West over the last few decades. Made from soy milk in a process much like that of making milk into cheese, tofu’s by-products are edible, and because it has almost no flavor on its own, it can be made into almost any kind of dish.
The health benefits include being low in calories, with beneficial amounts of iron (important for women of child-bearing age), with no saturated fat or cholesterol. Depending on the ingredients used, it can also be high in calcium (important for bone development and maintenance), or magnesium (especially important for athletes). And for women who need an estrogen boost, tofu contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogen.
Different consistencies of tofu can be adapted to fit any kind of dish. You can crumble firm tofu to replace the beef in Bolognese sauce, or mix it with taco seasoning. You can make a pseudo egg salad with crushed tofu, Nayoniasse (soy-based vegan mayo), celery, mustard, turmeric and seasonings. Silken tofu can be pureed and mixed with melted chocolate for creamy pies and pudding or mixed to create savory dips, sandwich spreads or a sour cream replacement. Use it to create non-dairy versions of cream soups, or slice and marinate firm tofu and then grill it, or bread it and fry it.
With so many options and health benefits, it is no wonder more and more restaurants are introducing healthy fare menus.
Tofu’s health benefits were recognized centuries ago in the East and have slowly been gaining popularity in the West over the last few decades. Made from soy milk in a process much like that of making milk into cheese, tofu’s by-products are edible, and because it has almost no flavor on its own, it can be made into almost any kind of dish.
The health benefits include being low in calories, with beneficial amounts of iron (important for women of child-bearing age), with no saturated fat or cholesterol. Depending on the ingredients used, it can also be high in calcium (important for bone development and maintenance), or magnesium (especially important for athletes). And for women who need an estrogen boost, tofu contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogen.
Different consistencies of tofu can be adapted to fit any kind of dish. You can crumble firm tofu to replace the beef in Bolognese sauce, or mix it with taco seasoning. You can make a pseudo egg salad with crushed tofu, Nayoniasse (soy-based vegan mayo), celery, mustard, turmeric and seasonings. Silken tofu can be pureed and mixed with melted chocolate for creamy pies and pudding or mixed to create savory dips, sandwich spreads or a sour cream replacement. Use it to create non-dairy versions of cream soups, or slice and marinate firm tofu and then grill it, or bread it and fry it.
With so many options and health benefits, it is no wonder more and more restaurants are introducing healthy fare menus.
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