Is Tofu Vegan: A Quick Guide that will run you through what tofu is, how is tofu made, and of course, is tofu vegan!
Tofu is a very unique ingredient. It can be used in many ways; from savory to desserts. It also varies in texture, it can be silky soft, medium-firm, and extra firm. When it’s firm, it’s like a sponge, it absorbs flavor well, and it has great texture.
Is Tofu Vegan?
Yes! Tofu is absolutely vegan, since it’s made with soy, and soy is vegan. Tofu is one of the most popular vegan alternatives to protein and ‘chicken’. I absolutely love cooking with tofu, it’s an incredible ingredient, and it’s on my menu every single week. You can make sweet n sour tofu, salt and pepper tofu, spreads, tofu schnitzel, tofu bacon, and the list goes on.
If you are someone who has never tried tofu before, you may not like it to begin with, especially if you don’t prepare it correctly. Tofu is very plain in flavor, so it needs a lot of added flavor to it, in order to make it tasty.
It really isn’t difficult, but you will need to try out a couple of recipes until you fully understand tofu.
What Is Tofu Made Of?
Tofu originates from China.
Bean used to make tofu is – soybeans. Yep, tofu is made out of soybeans. The method of making tofu is quite similar to cheesemaking. The soybeans are made into milk, and then the soy milk is cooked and curds separate from the milk, then the curds are collected, and pressed.
Tofu is quite high on protein, making it the perfect plant-based source of protein. It also contains amino acids your body needs to function, it contains fat, and some carbs as well.
One 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of tofu offers the following nutrients:
- Protein: 8 grams
- Carbs: 2 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Fat: 4 grams
- Manganese: 31% of the RDI
- Calcium: 20% of the RDI
- Selenium: 14% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
- Copper: 11% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 9% of the RDI
- Iron: 9% of the RDI
- Zinc: 6% of the RDI
Tofu is also low on calories, which makes it the perfect filling food to eat if you are looking at cutting down on calories and losing some weight!
Is Soy Bad For You?
Most of the soy is produced in the USA, and unfortunately, most are grown as GMO. Multiple studies have been done, and nothing has yet proven that consuming GMO products causes any illnesses or anything bad to your body.
However, if you’re worried about it, simply opt for non-GMO, organic tofu brands.
Personally, I always buy organic tofu, it’s better to be safe than sorry 😉
Summary:
So this was my guide on Is Tofu Vegan: A Quick Guide – I hope you found it useful, and I hope you try tofu and learn how to cook it well and hopefully consume it regularly! We found that bean used to make tofu – is soybean, and we also found that tofu is absolutely vegan! So good news all around.
A quick tip from me, if you have never tried tofu, you probably won’t like it to begin with, but give it a chance. I fell in love with tofu when I made scrambled tofu, and since that day I have almost had it every day!
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