Tofu is made from soybeans, water and a coagulant, or curdling agent. It is high in protein and calcium and well known for its ability to absorb new flavors through spices and marinades. Due to its chameleon-like qualities and nutritional value, tofu, a staple of Asian cuisines for hundreds of years, has recently become popular in Western vegetarian cooking. So popular, in fact, that it is celebrated with its own annual festival and has almost become synonymous with vegetarianism itself. Look for tofu in the produce section of your regular grocery store.

Cooking with Tofu

When cooking with firm tofu, you will usually want to drain and press the tofu first, and some recipes will tell you to freeze and thaw your tofu. See how to press tofu and more tofu cooking tips here. Need some more help cooking tofu? Watch this quick tofu video to learn how to press tofu and see a few ways to use silken and firm tofu.

Vegetarian are one of the healthiest eating routines you can find. It’s a common misconception that people go vegetarian because of the concern for animal rights. Well, yes there are some that do that diet because of the animal right, but there are some that also do it because it’s a cheap way to eat and get healthy. The American Dietetic Association approved this kind of eating. But you need to consult nutritionists first before going into it. Your body is different from the others. You have different nutritional needs. Some will go on this kind of diet because of their religion, while others are in it because their parents taught them to eat like that. Others are in this diet because of their health issues.

To know more about being Vegetarian, you need to know that there are different classifications under this kind of diet. A Lacto-ovo vegetarian doesn’t eat poultry, fish and meat but eats dairy products and eggs. A real vegetarian doesn’t eat any meat including white meat and fish meat. Vegan-ism doesn’t include any dairy product and animal products like honey and gelatin. Macrobiotic cut back is under vegan-ism. People that eat with this discipline don’t include refined foods that have preservatives and processing. Drinking coffee or anything that has caffeine in them is something they don’t like and they don’t like to eat food that came from animals as well.

Going into vegan and macrobiotic food eating can hurt your body because of the nutrition deficiencies that it can pile up. The body will need to have a source of calcium and protein for it to function. Pesci-vegetarians eat fish but don’t eat poultry while Semi-vegetarians eat small amounts of poultry and fish. Semi-vegetarians choice of food is seeds, fruits, grains, veggies legumes and nuts. If you would want to try this diet, I suggest you take in multivitamins as well. The body needs a source of protein, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Furthermore, you need to put in a lot if research first before trying it out. Your body might already be giving in without you knowing. Caution in researching on what to eat, how to eat and when to eat it are needed.