Over the past 10 years, the number of vegans and vegetarians has increased exponentially. This has resulted in many stores and companies providing various alternatives, and a wave of new foods that weren't as known to the general public.
In 2021, I think it's safe to say that just about everyone knows what tofu is. It is a curd made from mashed soybeans that people either love or hate. When people picture tofu, they usually picture something like this:
"Bland, white chunks of flavorless rubber" is a definition I've heard before, which represents a big portion of people who think this way. While yes, what you are staring at above may not be the most flavorful food on the planet, this is not usually how it is eaten.
What if I told you that tofu looks like this:
And this:
And this:
I don't know about you guys, but these look pretty good to me! And there are thousands of tofu recipes out there that are of a wide variety! You can use tofu as a substitute in a lot of recipes that call for meat as well!
Even though these look great, what's the point of not eating meat, why should I eat tofu? Well, in addition to environmental reasons, tofu has many health benefits!
So let's dive right into it and see what tofu can do for us (besides just being delicious!).
1.Heart Healthy
Tofu is made from soybeans, which are categorized as legumes. Legumes have been proven to be healthy for the heart, and help to reduce inflammation within blood vessels. This helps them maintain their elasticity and reduces problems from having high blood pressure.
2.Great Source of Protein
A lot of soy products are great sources of protein, which is a big reason why a lot of vegans and vegetarians include it in their regular diet. For most tofu's, there is about 10 grams of protein for every half cup of tofu, making it the perfect source of plant protein!
3.Helps With Weight Loss
Because tofu is high in protein and low in fat, it is a great food to eat when trying to lose weight. It contains protein, fiber and calcium, all of which play important roles in the regulation of appetite. Tofu is a food that helps you feel full longer, so can be great when trying to cut back on the amount of food you are eating.
4.Rich in Nutrients
You have probably heard how tofu is healthy in various places, but here is why! It contains manganese, selenium, iron, and calcium. All of these help our bodies function properly. In addition, it contains:
Zinc -which helps with our metabolism and preventing illness
Magnesium - which helps with our muscles
Phosphorus - helps our bones stay healthy
All of these nutrients are great to help keep our bodies strong and healthy!
5.Helps Prevent Anemia
With iron being one of the nutrients found in tofu, tofu helps us prevent iron deficiency. Iron helps aid the blood building process, and without a diet that consists of enough iron, it can lead to anemia. Anemia is a deficiency of healthy red blood cells in our blood, which can lead to fatigue and other illness. By eating tofu and other iron rich foods you can avoid or lessen the symptoms!
If you have already been a tofu eater, please let us know some of your favorite things about tofu below in the comments! And if you have yet to try it, I hope these benefits convinced you!