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Tofu: The Soy Product is So Healthy

Opinions are divided on whether tofu is healthy. Proponents value the soy product for its high protein content, while critics condemn soy and accuse tofu of having a poor environmental balance. You can read here how healthy tofu really is.

How healthy is tofu really? This question is often discussed, especially between meat eaters and vegetarians. Tofu has long been an integral part of Asian cuisine and is not considered a meat substitute there.

In this article, we not only look at tofu from a nutritional perspective, but also ask how healthy tofu is for our planet. You will also learn what to look out for when buying tofu.

Is tofu healthy? The nutritional values and ingredients

Before we can judge how healthy tofu actually is, it’s worth taking a look at the nutritional values:

127 kcal/532 kJ per 100 grams of raw product
Fat: 7 grams, of which 1.30 grams are unsaturated fatty acids
Carbohydrates: 1.60 grams, including 0.50 grams of sugar
Protein: 14 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
The high protein content of tofu is particularly striking. This makes it particularly interesting for people who opt for a purely plant-based diet. According to the German Society for Nutrition, tofu is a very good vegetable protein source. With just 100 grams of tofu, you can cover around a third of your daily protein requirements.

In addition to the macronutrients, the micronutrients are of course also crucial. Tofu provides your body with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains secondary plant substances:

iron
phosphorus
folic acid
magnesium
B vitamins
vitamin E
isoflavones
Isoflavones are also known as phytoestrogens. The phytochemical has structural similarities to human estrogen and can, under certain circumstances, bind to the body’s own receptors. The study situation on the effects of isoflavones is still unclear, babies and children should only consume small amounts of soy products.

Is Tofu Healthy for the Planet?

However, whether tofu is really healthy cannot only be judged by the nutritional aspects. In addition, we also have to consider the impact of tofu on our environment and the effort involved in production.

Tofu is made from soybeans. The production can certainly be compared to the manufacture of cheese. Soy milk coagulates, liquid is squeezed out and what remains is a solid block – to put it simply.

Regardless of its healthy nutritional values, soy is increasingly being questioned. Quite rightly so: After all, soya is often cultivated in huge monocultures using genetic engineering. Rain forest areas often have to give way for soybean cultivation and are cut down. At the same time, soya is one of the legumes. These plants improve the soil in the long term and provide it with nutrients. That is why the question of environmental compatibility is not so easy to answer.

First of all, it is important to consider that the large-scale cultivation of soy is mainly used to produce animal feed, which is used on a large scale in factory farming. Indirectly, more rainforest soy is grown for a diet with animal products than for a purely plant-based diet. This is one of the reasons why meat has a significantly worse ecological balance than tofu.

You can also find substitute products such as tofu in stores with regional soy from Germany, France or Austria. Therefore, when shopping, pay attention to the origin of the product.

Buy healthy tofu

So that you actually eat tofu that is healthy for you and your environment, you should consider the following points when buying:

Pay attention to the origin of the tofu. This way you avoid long transport routes and can make sure that no tree was felled for your dinner.
In order to rule out genetic engineering, you should also pay attention to organic quality. For example, the organic seals from Demeter, Naturland or Bioland are recommended.
You can also buy tofu unpackaged in some organic or health food stores. Then it’s placed in brine instead of sealed in plastic to keep it fresh.
You can also make your own tofu.
In order for your tofu to taste really good, the preparation is crucial. Since it does not have an intense taste of its own, it is worth marinating tofu. Check out our tofu recipes for more inspiration.

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Food

Food Study: Vegan Product is the Second Largest Emitter

In a new study, scientists have calculated the greenhouse gas emissions of animal and plant-based foods. The study came to a surprising conclusion: the second largest emitter is a plant product.

All aspects of global food production together produce more than 17 billion tons of greenhouse gases every year. Of this, 57 percent goes to animal-based foods, 29 percent to plant-based ones. This is shown by a study that has just been published by Nature Food.

Beef is the main cause of greenhouse gases

Of all the foods examined, beef production was by far the largest contributor to greenhouse gases – with a share of 25 percent. Rice follows in second place with twelve percent. Rice is such a high source of emissions because when the rice fields are flooded, bacteria that produce methane are created.

Considering only the animal products, after the beef follow in this order:

cow milk
pork meat
chicken meat
For plant products, after rice, follow:

Wheat
sugar cane
Corn

South and Southeast Asia: Region with the highest emissions from food

According to the study, the regions with the most emissions related to food production are South and Southeast Asia. In addition, this region is the only one whose emissions are so high due to plant-based foods and not animal ones. Greenhouse gas emissions were highest in China, India and Indonesia. The reason for this is primarily the cultivation of rice.

With the study, the authors want to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through changed management. Conceivable measures are the reduction of fertilizer use and the use of tillage methods.

In addition, the scientists want to investigate how the food needs of a growing world population can be met while at the same time stopping deforestation.

According to the research team, part of which is based at the University of Illinois, this study is more detailed and comprehensive than comparable studies. Because the authors used data from 171 plants and 16 animal products from more than 200 countries.

In addition, they used computer models to calculate the amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide produced from different aspects of nutrition, including consumption and production.

One study author points out that it is important to find out which reduction targets make the most economic and ecological sense. “You want to do everything,” she says, “but you can’t do everything at the same time.”

Utopia says: This study shows once again that we have to reduce greenhouse gases and that a change in diet makes sense for this. Although rice is mentioned here as the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, a balanced plant-based diet can reduce a lot of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases.

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