Whether you’re a vegetarian, a meat-lover, or somewhere in between, tofu is an awesome and versatile source of protein that often gets overlooked.
Most people don’t realize how many different forms it comes in, and a mere half a cup of tofu has a whopping 10 grams of protein.
If that isn’t convincing enough, tofu is only 94 ?calories per serving, too.
So, you might be asking yourself: What can I do with that cold white mush?
Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not all that bad, and there’s definitely wiggle room for some tofu creativity.
It’s important to remember that the soybean mixture comes in four different forms: extra firm, firm, medium and soft.
While they all work well for cooking, it’s important to try them out and see which one you prefer.
One of the most underrated yet amazing forms of tofu are the packages of the tofu shirataki noodles. They come in packs in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and one serving is only 20 calories.
Plus, they taste pretty similar to rice noodles, and you can mix them with almost anything. You can fry them, eat them cold (after being washed) or microwave them, so their versatility is really helpful.
You can also use regularly packaged square tofu in almost any dish as a meat substitute.
I like to mix it with a little tomato paste, lemon juice and garlic salt as a topping for either rice or noodles.
A common tofu recipe includes teriyaki sauce, vegetables and rice and can be found in many popular Chinese dishes.
Interestingly enough, although tofu was originally mentioned in a Chinese text that dates back to 950 A.D., the protein-packed food has become cross-cultural in more ways then one.
It’s even found its way into the Indian food realm with masala recipes.
So next time you’re in need of protein and you’re craving an alternative, or trying to cut back on meat, reach for tofu and get ?creative.
