Is Tofu Good For You?

What is tofu?

Tofu is made from soybeans, as the soybeans are made into soya milk which is then curdled to form tofu, otherwise known as beancurd.  It is said that tofu was created by a Chinese cook by accidentally curdling soy milk by adding nigari seaweed — and the rest is history. For a deeper look on the process of making tofu, check out our post here. 

Is tofu good for you?

Like a lot of soya products, tofu has a high nutritional value:

• High in protein (8g per 100g of tofu)
• Good source of minerals zinc, iron, calcium, phosphorus
• A valuable source of vitamin b1
• It contains all nine essential amino acids

However, soy products can be a topic of debate on whether it is good for you. There is debate over whether soy can contribute to a higher risk of breast cancer due to its effect on the hormone, oestrogen. Studies have mostly been inconclusive in finding negative effects on women in particular; in fact, there was even a study that suggested that soy could help reduce the risk of breast cancer, which goes to show that there isn’t a great deal of evidence to show that soy can have a negative impact. With this in mind, tofu is generally considered to be good for you, providing a great source of protein to those on a plant-based diet.  Read more on our blog post on soy here. 

Want to know what to make with tofu? Read our guide to cooking with it next.