Healthy Recipes Blog

Some of you have written to me to ask for some information on tofu, it’s nutritional qualities, how it’s made etc. So here’s a little about one of my favourite health foods…

Tofu is soya bean curd, made from dried soya beans. These are soaked, crushed and boiled. A coagulent is added to make it separate into curds and whey, then the curds are poured into moulds and left to set.

Tofu is rich in protein and therefore makes a good substitute for meat or cheese, and it has little flavour. It is great at soaking up the flavours of other foods, herbs and spices. I often marinate it in soy sauce and fresh garlic for a chinese stir fry.

Tofu’s other health beneifits are that is is cholesterol-free, low in calories and if it is made with calcium sulphate (check the packaging) it is a great source of dietary calcium. It is also a rich source of isoflavones. These are hormone-like substances that have a similar effect to oestrogen in the body. Japanese women seem to benefit from consuming many soya-based foods by minimising some of the unpleasant side-effects of the menopause. It has also been shown in some studies that women who eat soya products have lower rates of breast cancer. This compares favourably with the increase of cancer associated with synthetic oestrogen.