"Food for health"
In this cold winter, people crave a steaming bowl of tofu soup or a bite of tender tofu cake to warm the body and mind. Tofu, known as a high-protein, low-fat nutritious food, is rich in high-quality protein and has non-negligible benefits for human health. However, with the emergence of various alternatives, the tofu on the market has also become diverse, some of which do not even contain any soybean ingredients. What exactly are these "tofu" things, and do they really live up to our expectations of tofu?
01. The nutritional value of tofu
As a traditional food, tofu is a food with important nutritional value and has many benefits for human health:
High in protein and low in fat: Tofu is rich in high-quality protein and is one of the good sources of protein for vegetarians and meat eaters. At the same time, tofu is low in fat, which is suitable for people who control their dietary fat intake, which helps to maintain a healthy weight and blood lipid levels.
Rich in nutrients: In addition to protein, tofu is also rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium, as well as nutrients such as vitamin B and vitamin E. These nutrients play an important role in maintaining good health and promoting physiological functions.
Easy to digest and absorb: Tofu has a delicate texture, soft taste, and is easy to digest and absorb. For people with weak digestive systems, such as the elderly, infants, etc., eating tofu can help reduce the burden of digestion and maintain the body's nutritional balance.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease: Tofu is rich in soy isoflavones, which have the effect of lowering cholesterol and protecting cardiovascular health. Long-term consumption of tofu can help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease.
Health care: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that tofu has a sweet and cool taste, and has the effects of nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness, invigorating qi and strengthening the spleen, clearing heat and detoxifying. Proper consumption of tofu can regulate the balance of yin and yang in the body, enhance immunity, and help prevent and improve some chronic diseases.
Therefore, tofu is not only a delicacy, but also a nutritious food that is good for health. In the daily diet, moderate consumption of tofu can help maintain good health and improve quality of life.
02. Tofu Analysis
Although the nutritional value of tofu is widely recognized, there are some so-called tofu alternatives on the market that are made from very different ingredients than traditional tofu and do not even contain any soybean ingredients:
Japanese tofu: It is mainly made from eggs, and a small amount of fish and other ingredients are added to boil the soup and then solidify. The taste is delicate and refreshing, different from traditional tofu, more like a modified version of egg custard. Compared with traditional tofu, it lacks the high-quality protein of beans and has relatively low nutritional value.
Chiba Tofu: Made with corn starch and soy protein, it uses different ingredients compared to traditional tofu. Similar to traditional tofu, it has a layered structure and a bouncy texture. It has a higher carbohydrate content than traditional tofu and relatively low protein and other nutrients.
Almond tofu: Sweet almonds are ground into a pulp and boiled with agar milk. It has a sweet taste and has some similarities with traditional tofu, but is harder. In order to improve the taste, manufacturers often add some lubricants and other substances.
Fish Tofu: Does not contain tofu in the traditional sense, but is made from fish. The taste is Q elastic, and it is often used in hot pot and other ingredients. Compared to traditional tofu, beans lack the high-quality protein and other nutrients.
Although these fake tofu are similar to traditional tofu in appearance and taste, their raw materials and nutritional content are quite different from traditional tofu. Therefore, when choosing ingredients, we need to pay attention to the ingredient list to ensure that we are choosing real tofu, so as to obtain rich protein and other nutrients to ensure a healthy diet.
03. Reflection and suggestions
Although there are some alternatives to tofu that look like tofu, their composition and nutritional value are far from traditional soybean tofu. Therefore, in order to ensure a healthy diet, we need to do some reflection:
Choose your ingredients carefully: When buying tofu, carefully check the product label and ingredient list to make sure the main ingredient is soybeans or soybeans. Avoid buying fake tofu that contains key ingredients such as eggs, cornstarch, sweet almonds, etc.
Diversify your ingredients: In addition to tofu, we should also diversify our ingredients and consume more nutrients. It can be paired with other protein sources, such as meat, fish, eggs, as well as vegetables and fruits, to ensure a diverse and balanced diet.
Focus on nutritional value: When choosing ingredients, in addition to focusing on taste and deliciousness, it is also important to pay attention to nutritional value. Try to choose foods rich in protein, vitamins and minerals to ensure the proper functioning of various body functions.
Eat specialty foods in moderation: Although it is a pleasure to taste some specialty foods once in a while, traditional soybean tofu should still be used as the main part of your daily diet to get rich protein and other nutrients. Specialty foods can be used as occasional condiments or snacks, but they should not be eaten too much to avoid affecting physical health.
04.Koi-no-chi
Ancient physicians had deep insights into food selection and dietary therapy, and they also had their own views on tofu as a food:
According to the record of "The Yellow Emperor's Neijing", tofu has a sweet and cool taste, and returns to the spleen and stomach meridians. Ancient medicine believes that tofu has the effects of nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness, invigorating qi and strengthening the spleen, clearing heat and detoxifying. For people with weak constitution, indigestion, and excessive fire in the body, moderate consumption of tofu can help regulate the balance of yin and yang in the body and improve physical condition.
However, ancient medicine also emphasized the influence of the quality and preparation of food on efficacy. Traditional tofu is made from soybeans through fermentation, grinding, boiling and other processes, which retains the nutrients and medicinal value of soybeans. Some fake tofu is made with eggs, corn starch and other raw materials, and although the taste is similar, its nutritional content and medicinal value are far inferior to traditional tofu.
Ancient medicine emphasizes the selection of high-quality tofu and reasonable consumption according to individual physique and condition, so as to achieve the purpose of nourishing health and regulating the body. For modern people, maintaining a variety of diets and eating traditional tofu in moderation is one of the important aspects of maintaining health.
05. Conclusion
As a traditional nutritious food, tofu plays an important role in our daily diet. However, as the market evolves and food processes improve, we also need to be more careful in our selection of ingredients to ensure that the tofu we enjoy is a truly high-quality food.
We learned that there are some fake tofu on the market, and the ingredients and nutrients are far from the traditional soybean tofu. In order to ensure a healthy diet, we need to pay attention to the choice of ingredients, the variety of ingredients, the attention to nutritional value, and the consumption of specialty foods in moderation. Therefore, let's continue to enjoy the traditional soybean tofu in our daily lives, while also making careful choices about the foods in the market to ensure that our diet is healthy, rich and delicious.
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