Is tofu healthy?
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Tofu, it has been known for years as a full-fledged meat substitute. More and more people want to eat less meat or even no meat at all, for various reasons. According to a study by the University in Wageningen, in 2012 about 4.5 percent of the Dutch population was vegetarian or vegan, and there are also people who are gradually phasing out the consumption of meat. In this case, you should therefore look for replacement foods that can provide for the absorption of nutrients that you miss because of this. Tofu is one such product. Its use originated in Asia, where it has been discovered that it has a very good nutritional value. Among other things, it is very high in protein, which makes it a perfect alternative to meat.
What is tofu anyway?
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Tofu is made from the soybean, to be precise it is made by curdling soymilk with natural mineral rich coagulants based on calcium and magnesium. The main ingredient, soy, is made from beans (legumes) derived from the soy plant.
Is tofu healthy?
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AH Organic Tofu natural 100 grams Energy 485 kJ Energy 115 kcal Proteins 12 g Carbohydrates 1 g Of which sugars 0.4 g Fat 7 g Of which saturated 1 g Of which polyunsaturated 6 g Dietary fiber 0.9 g Sodium 0 g
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Lots of proteins
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As can be seen in the table, 100 grams of organic tofu from Albert Heijn has 12 grams of protein. This is a very generous amount. Protein is an important substance for the body as it is the building material of the human body. It maintains and strengthens the muscles. Avid fitness enthusiasts benefit from the consumption of more protein. Tofu is a perfect product for this.
Vitamins and Minerals
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In terms of vitamins, there are some in tofu, but they are not in such amounts as to make a large contribution to the recommended daily allowance. 100 grams of tofu contain 5% of the RDA of vitamin B9. Vitamin B1, B2 and B6 all account for 4%.
Soy in tofu
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Soy is rich in phytoestrogens, ie a vegetable form of the hormone estrogen. More specifically, soy is rich in isoflavones, another branch of said phytoestrogens. Soya originally comes from Asia, but is now also produced elsewhere. The fact that soy is the main ingredient of tofu automatically raises questions about the actual health of tofu. After all, soy has not always received positive results recently, so that tofu is automatically included in this. For example, several studies have shown the possible risk of breast cancer, because an excessive intake of this substance would disrupt the hormone balance. On the other hand, other studies have shown that in such a case the concentrations must be far too high. Intake of moderate amounts would actually reduce the risk of breast cancer. When you compare these outcomes, at first glance, there is almost only confusion. So is tofu really healthy? Is it a good substitute for meat?
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
What about soy exactly?
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There is no unequivocal conclusion available in January 2016, but it is clear that the amount ingested plays a major role. It has also emerged that the danger mainly arises because a large part of soy is genetically modified. This is a technique in which properties of other plants, bacteria or yeasts are crossed with (in this case) soy. As a result, tofu is no longer the "tofu as it was intended". As with many other foods, it carries risks because the natural action of soy, or in other words, the way nature intended the product to work, is altered.
Conclusion
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In principle there is no concrete answer. It can be argued that moderate intake of tofu should not pose a health risk. Stronger; tofu should be healthy. Actually, the exact same applies to meat. Nowadays it is far from unclear what the products we consume really consist of, be it meat or meat substitutes. It is best to pay attention to the origin of the product and possibly find out how the product was produced (natural or manipulated). So in concrete terms, tofu is definitely a healthy choice, but as with everything, the rule of thumb applies: enjoy, but in moderation!