Vegetarian Information

Tofu - that’s just for vegetarians, right?

Wrong.

Tofu is a highly nutritious food that, rather than being
seen as just an alternative to meat, should be included in
your baby’s diet on its own merits!

Tofu is part of the legume family. It is fermented soymilk
curd — the process by which it is made compares to the way
that cheese is made from milk. Tofu is a rich source of
protein, calcium, iron, fibre and fatty acids — key
components for good nutrition.

There are two basic types of tofu — hard/firm tofu, often
used in recipes that needs a consistency which holds
together well — and soft or silken tofu, generally used for
desserts, smoothies, soups and sauces.

Fresh tofu has a sweet aroma when opened — any sour odour
would indicate that it is stale and should not be used for
your baby. It will keep for seven days in the refrigerator
and should be placed in an airtight container of water. It
is, however, essential that the water is changed on a daily
basis. Tofu does not freeze particularly well — upon
defrosting it becomes somewhat spongy in texture and appears
discolored.

You can introduce this versatile and healthy food to your
baby once he/she is at least 8 months of age. (It is
important, however, to be aware that soy is a potential
allergen. When introducing it to your baby for the very
first time, watch carefully for any signs of an allergic
reaction. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stuffy or runny
nose, watery or red eyes and wheezing. Should you ever
suspect your baby is allergic to a particular type of food,
then contact a medical professional immediately).

It is very easy to incorporate tofu into your baby’s diet
because it has very little taste of its own. Instead, it
absorbs the flavors of any foods it comes into contact
with.

Initially, you could try blending tofu with cottage cheese
or avocado, for a simple, nutritious meal. Soft tofu creamed
with fruit would make a delicious dessert for baby.
Alternatively, tofu can be cut into chunks and served to
your baby raw, as a healthy finger food.

Taking into account tofu’s extensive nutritional properties,
along with its versatility, it would clearly provide a very
worthwhile boost to most babies’ diets.

Christine Albury is the author of http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/index.html, a site providing a range of recipes for baby’s first year, plus information, tips and advice for successful infant feeding.

Tags: baby, food, healthy, nutritious, tofubaby, food, healthy, nutritious, tofu

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It is often taken as a given fact that soy is beneficial to our health, and that it is certainly a healthier alternative to dairy products and meat. However, it is rare that anyone actually either asks or informs us of what soy is or why we should consume it.

Soy - Where does it come from?

The origins of soy can be traced back to Japan from as early as 2800 B.C. Since then, it has been a prominent feature of the Asian diet and has been linked to the lower frequency of cancer in those native to this region (especially in comparison to the UK and the USA).

Soy was first introduced in Europe in the early 18th Century and has gone from being used almost exclusively as animal feed to a multi-billion dollar industry.

What is it?

Soy is a highly nutritious legume which has over a 40% protein content, omega3 fatty acids, high fibre content and contains ‘isoflavones’ which are known to imitate the effects of natural estrogens. Also known as glycine soja (wild soybean), soybeans are the world’s primary source of vegetable protein and contain all of the essential amino acids, which gives it the title of a ‘complete protein’.

Why Consume Soy?

Aside from the obvious benefits to consuming soy outlined above, there are several more specific reasons as to why soy would be a smart addition to any diet or lifestyle. Soy has been given more and more attention in terms of research over the past decade and the following have been the most prominent discoveries:

• Soy can help prevent heart disease;
• Soy has been shown to benefit those with, and prevent, Type 2 Diabetes;
• Soy can help prevent Cancer of the Breast, Colon, Uterus and Prostate;
• Soy can help to prevent osteoporosis;
• The high protein content of Soy can improve athletic performance;

Making Soy a Part of Your Diet

This is not as difficult as it sounds as soy products are becoming more and more readily available (in all shapes, sizes and flavours) and equipment such as soy milk makers, and tofu kits are now available for home use, as well as commercial.

Probably the biggest step towards increasing soy in your diet (and replacing dairy) is gained from converting to soy milk. Although some people find the taste of soy milk, ‘different’ to that of cow’s milk, by transitioning, this can easily be overcome.

By mixing soy with cow’s milk, in incremental steps over the period of a month or so, it can be relatively easy to transition.

Suggested Transition:

Weeks 1-2: Use 25% Soy, and 75% cow’s milk on cereals and for drinking ‘neat’. Use soy in coffee and tea, but with a splash of milk. Replace 25% of regular flour with soy flour when baking. Use soy milk in smoothies where the taste is much weaker than on cereals.

Weeks 2-4: Split 50-50 when using milk and flour. Use only soy in tea and coffee and have a scoop of soy-based ‘ice cream’ along with regular ice-cream.

Week 4+: Increase split to 25-75 in favour of soy milk and flour. Continue at this level until you feel accustomed to the taste of soy milk and other soy products.

It will not be long until your taste alters and you actual begin to prefer the taste of soy milk, especially in drinks such as smoothies, where soy gives a much more creamy taste.

Recommended Soy Products/Brands

At EFL we heartily recommend the following:

• ‘Winner’ Swedish Glace (tastes like Mr Whippy style ice-cream!)
• EasyGreen Sprouter (for sprouting Soy seeds)
• Provamel Yoghurts
• Innerlight SuperSoy
• Alpro/Provamel Unsweetened Soya Milk
• Trader Joes Soya Milk (if you can find it in the UK or Europe)
• SoyaFresh! Home Soya Milk Maker
• SoyaFresh! Home Tofu Kit
• Vogel’s Ultra Bran, Soya & Linseed Cereal

Energise for Life aims to bring you the very best in health and nutrition advice resources, news and articles as well as the products, equipment, supplements and superfoods you need to achieve optimal health and nutrition.

Tags: nutrition, protein, soy, soya, supplements, tofu, vegan, vegetariannutrition, protein, soy, soya, supplements, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

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It is well established that soy is one of the healthiest foods around and an important part of every healthy person’s diet. So now many people want to know how to eat it. Soy is available in so many different forms that people can surely find many tasty ways to incorporate it into their diet. Try these ideas.

Adding soybeans in the form of edamame into your diet will be easy. Buy frozen edamame and instead of steaming green beans or broccoli, steam edamame. Then serve it hot and lightly salted as an appetizer before the meal, or as a side dish with the main meal.

Soy nuts can be mixed with other nuts, like pistachios or peanuts, to eat accompanied by a nice fruit drink, cocktail, or a beer. Offer it to your friends when they come over to play cards or before a nice a meal.

Soy milk can replace cow’s milk to pour over your cereal in the morning or to complete any recipe that requires milk, like pancakes. Soy milk is delicious to drink alone or to pour over a bowl of strawberries.

Tofu comes in soft or firm textures. The softest form blends nicely into a homemade fruit smoothie, instantly improving the nutritional value of the smoothie by adding protein and calcium. Tofu can be added to all stir fry recipes, either in addition to meat or replacing the meat.

At restaurants, choosing the vegetarian burger is an easy way to get soy, as they are made from some form of soybeans, often tofu.

Maybe the simplest way to eat soy products is to simply purchase soy protein powder, soy meal replacement bars, soy shakes or soy supplements. Take them to work to eat with lunch or a snack. It’s worth the effort and your body will thank you if you use these easy ways to incorporate soy into your diet.

About the author:
Fabien Ponson invites you to read some more articles about soy products on the website All Soy Products.

Tags: edamame, soy diet, soy food, soy milk, soy protein, soy shake, soy supplement, soybean, tofuedamame, soy diet, soy food, soy milk, soy protein, soy shake, soy supplement, soybean, tofu

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