Is Tofu Good Or Bad For The Body?
GOING VEGAN – For someone who’s trying to make the transition into veganism, it is very normal to look for substitutes for meat.
Vegan diet excludes products that are derived from animals such as meat, milk, eggs, and dairy products. Leaving these behind, most people try to look for substitutes for these products that are plant-based.
Checkout this archive of vegetable dish recipes.
One most commonly heard substitute is tofu. But what is tofu? And is it really good for you?
Tofu is a plant-based source of protein. Made out of soy, water and coagulant, tofu is actually a pretty flexible ingredient.
It can absorb the flavors of the ingredients put around it. It also has six types: silken, soft, medium, firm, extra firm and super firm.
The nutritious contents of tofu:
Protein – as a plant-based protein source. Tofu contains the entire essential amino acids. To compare it with other plant-based foods, most of them are complete protein sources but do not contain the necessary amino acids.
Fiber – Although soybeans are very rich in fiber, it loses its fiber contents when it is process into tofu. So the best choice to get fiber when eating to tofu, is to prepare it with other fiber-rich foods like avocados.
Iron – This mineral is very important in keeping a healthy immune system. And tofu is actually a pretty good source of iron. However, the kind of iron found in tofu (Nonheme) is not absorbed as quickly by the body as the kind of iron from meat (heme iron).
Calcium – Tofu actually has a very high amount of calcium. As it is made of coagulant calcium sulfate. The amount of calcium, however, depends on the type of tofu and its brand.
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