[bcblondie]

<p>(Sorry if this isn't the best place for this. I tried. lol)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What do you guys think of tofu? I'm on the fence, because a) I kind of want to start eating a little less meat, due to the things they inject the animals with... and tofu is a good source of protein... but b) Isn't tofu made from soy? And doesn't soy contain a substance that mimics estrogen?</p>
<p>We avoided giving DS soy when we found out about his milk allergy. We've been giving him goat's milk instead. It would seem counter productive to now start eating tofu.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What do you think about this? Please enlighten me.</p>

 

[Annie Mac]

<p>I asked this question myself a few months back. I received a number of responses, but basically nothing conclusive. Yup, it has pros. And yup, it has cons. My own personal decision was that tofu is probably OK (or at least the protein benefit trumps the estrogen, imo), but I limit the number of times I serve it. We eat it on average once a week. We don't eat a lot of other soya products, except a dessert I make that just tastes way better with vanilla soya milk. No highly processed soya products, no TVP, etc (and that's not because of the estrogens, but because of the processing method). Sometimes I wish we didn't have a small amount of ever-changing knowledge on just about everything out there! It would make life so much easier </p>

 

[bcblondie]

<p>Me too. Sometimes I hesitate to research things that I should because I'm afraid of what I'll find... Like eating organic. lol. I don't want to pay extra for it. Ignorance is bliss... But then I researched anyways lol.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyways. Thanks for your help. That's kind of the answer I expected. Pretty much every single food has pros and cons. I might try it just to see what it's like. Never hurts to have more meal options.</p>

 

[mamadelbosque]

<p>I'm not 100% sold on TF, so take what I say w/ a grain of salt if you are I'm a everything-in-moderation kinda gal. We eat some soy, mostly as tamari and tofu. Tofu we probably have 1-3x a month. I wouldn't give my dc soy milk or eat tofu everyday, but I think its a great alternative to meat for protein every now and then. :shrug</p>

 

[dauphinette]

<p>I just plain like so I eat sometimes, too.  But I wouldn't make it a mainstay of our diet.  I just don't wanna give it up either, lol!</p>

 

[bcblondie]

<p>I think that's probably a good idea girls. I'm really curious to try it. But yeah. Everything in moderation.</p>

 

[littlest birds]

<p>I avoid both soy and very processed foods, and think of tofu as both. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I usually go for moderation.  However, I believe I was badly affected by having soy milk on cereals for about 12 years almost daily and am now having several estrogen-related issues.  My 10yo dd started puberty early too, who loved soy milk--my 16yo dd didn't start early and always disliked and never drank soy milk. </p>
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<p>We do still use soy sauce occasionally and I don't worry about that. </p>
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<p>If I was going to add more legumes instead of meats, I would go for other common beans and ways of cooking them as whole foods.  Peanuts are another legume if you have no sensitivities and nuts are great as well.  I feel more comfortable with things closer to their natural state.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

 

[Annie Mac]

<p>You've never had tofu? There are a lot of great recipes out there. I like the flavour (not everyone does) and my favourite way to prepare it is as part of a roast veggie dish. I cube it, and, with a selection of root veg, lightly coat it all with olive oil & chunky salt. Then it goes in the oven at high heat (475) until it's all roasty and good! Also, I"m not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard that that pretty much all non-organic soya products are from GMO soybeans. I play it safe and always buy organic tofu. It's the same price anyway.</p>

 

[CherryBomb]

<p>I'll eat it if it's in a dish while we're eating out, say at a Japanese place, but I won't buy it to eat at home.  Soy sauce and tempeh are fine, but I'm not comfortable eating tofu more than a couple of times a year.  I used to be veg*n and ate a ton of soy and it messed me up, so it's more a personal experience thing than anything.</p>

 

[Smokering]

<p>I think it's vile. Not sure about the nutritional aspects, but I really really hate the taste and texture. We had an awkward situation recently at a BBQ, where a vegetarian friend came over and offered to make dessert. (Oddly enough, he wasn't vegetarian for ethical or health reasons or anything - he liked meat - he just thought he'd give it a go, because "it's easy in London". He's started eating meat again since. Anyhoo.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyway, he made two cheesecakes, lemon and chocolate, and we were all "Yay, cheesecake!". And then he said, with a gleam in his eye, "One of them has tofu in it. I'll let you guess which one". So I tried them both, but they both tasted revolting - not at all sweet or creamy, sort of watery and with a bitter aftertaste and generally unpleasant. Short of saying "Dude, they both taste like the north end of a south-bound mule" we couldn't really comment, so we all said no, we couldn't tell. And then with a big grin he said "They BOTH had tofu in them!". And we all kind of smiled sickly grins and turned our attention to my chocolate mousse. :lol It was awkward, to say the least. Never pit a tofu cheesecake against a real live cheesecake unless you're ACTUALLY sure it will taste the same, and here's a handy hint: it won't. If the entire party has been vegan for years it's possible they *might* have forgotten the taste and texture of a real cheesecake, but serving it to a TFer? Yeah, no.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So one could say I'm embittered on the subject. My sister loves tofu and is semi-vegan, so I've had several "No, this way is really nice, it's all flavourful and crisp" dishes. They all tasted bland and awful to me. Still, some people do genuinely enjoy it, so... you know... decide for yourself. Just don't use it in cheesecake or the gods of cooking will smite you down.</p>

 

[velcromom]

<p>I avoid soy unless it's fermented, I used to think tofu was til I saw a show about how it is made. I wouldn't freak out if it were served to me, I don't find it particularly enjoyable though. If you are worried about the hormones and antibiotics in meats, can you buy meat without them? I'd rather pay more for better meat and eat less of it, than add unfermented soy to my menu.</p>

 

[cristeen]

I'm w a pp... I used to eat a lot of soy when i was veg and vegan, and i've spent years trying to repair the damage.<br><br>
I dont touch most soy now. I'll use tamari on occasion, or i'll eat edamame, but that's it.<br><br>
If you have a problem w the way meat animals are treated, why not find a better meat source? If you want to eat less meat, tofu isnt your only option. There are dozens of legumes that are delicious and versatile.

 

[bcblondie]

<p>Thank you so much for all the replies! I kinda thought my thread would die becuase it's been asked so many times.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm undereducated on tofu all around. How is it made? If it seems very processed that's not good. I'm trying to avoid all processed food. We do pretty well but there are a few things we still eat, like canned mushroom soup, I like to put on a few things. Yesterday I got a HAIR in the can. Yeah. I'm done with cans.</p>
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<p>I do worry about how the estrogen in soy affects our bodies. I know some women take soy to help them ovulate... But the more I read the more warnings I found saying stay away. Half the time it messes you up more than it helps.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Smokering your whole post was just hilarious. lol. And would you believe I don't really like cheesecake much as it is? I can always taste the cheesiness... just doesn't seem to go with sweetness, to me. So no. I definately won't make tofu cheesecake.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Velcomom and christeen. I would but it's usually much more expensive. I think I might though, for redmeats anyways. Or do you think poultry and stuff is just as "genetically modified?"</p>
<p>So far I've only read about beef.</p>

 

[mamadelbosque]

<p>Tofu is soy cheese. You can make it at home - my mom & dad used to on a regular basis, though its been months and months since we've done so. Basicly though, you first make soy milk (soak  soybeans, then cook & puree them, straining out the beans), then add nigari or other things (I forget, theres a whole list of stuff though) to curdle the milk, take the curds out and press them. The longer you press them, the firmer your tofu. :shrug Really and truely, tofu is simply soy cheese. If you think cheese is 'processed' then so is tofu. If not, then its not. </p>

 

[Ravensong13]

<p>I love tofu! I am wondering though what the health issues are that some of the pp's are talking about? I've been eating tofu and soy products for quite a few years and feel healthier than I used to when I was younger. DD drinks a mixture of soy and coconut milk and we eat some soy cheeses a few times a week, that's probably more than most people do but I don't think it's excessive. I'd personally rather feed her soy than meat.</p>

 

[CatsCradle]

<br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>mamadelbosque</strong> <a href="/community/forum/thread/1279167/what-do-you-think-of-tofu#post_16049670"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p>Tofu is soy cheese. You can make it at home - my mom & dad used to on a regular basis, though its been months and months since we've done so. Basicly though, you first make soy milk (soak  soybeans, then cook & puree them, straining out the beans), then add nigari or other things (I forget, theres a whole list of stuff though) to curdle the milk, take the curds out and press them. The longer you press them, the firmer your tofu. :shrug Really and truely, tofu is simply soy cheese. If you think cheese is 'processed' then so is tofu. If not, then its not. </p>
</div>
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<p><br>
I agree.  Essentially, everything that we eat is "processed" in some way.  Cooking itself is a process if the food is altered in any way.  I think people confuse the type of food processing that we see in the west with real tofu.  When I think of "processed" soy, I think of all the products out there where tons of additives are included (like the soy meats, etc.).  Tofu itself is made very simply...the Chinese themselves have been making it at home for something like 5,000 years and it has been a staple of the diet.  Personally, I had a strong aversion to tofu when I first tried it.  It was bland and the texture bothered me.  Over the years, I learned how to actually cook well with it and now eat it several times a week.  I like it a lot now.  It is very versatile and when prepared well can be a nice addition to one's diet.  If you have problems with soy itself, then you shouldn't eat it.  Personally, I have problems with soy meats and other non-organic soy products which are manufactured in the U.S., but tofu in its true form is great. <br>
 </p>

 

[Kelilah]

<p>I love tofu.  I steer clear of non-organic soy and processed foods with soy fillers and such, and I don't eat the imitation meats you can get at the supermarket, but plain old-fashioned tofu is just fine with me.  I get a craving for it once every week or two, and I'm not a vegetarian.  To me it's just another kind of protein, in the same category as chicken or beef or fish; I don't want to eat them every day but I like them all sometimes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My cutoff on processed foods, personally - I won't eat anything I couldn't make in my home kitchen.  I don't make my own tofu, but I COULD, so I don't mind buying it.  And yes, ALWAYS get organic when you get any soy, because nearly all soy in this country is GM (though heck, the organic soy is probably contaminated with the GM through pollenation by now).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On meats, bcblondie - GM isn't really the main issue with meats, it's the diet and conditions.  Factory-farmed meats are much more likely to be diseased, because the animals are crammed into overcrowded, covered spaces where they sit in their own waste (and the waste of all their neighbors), eating fillers that their bodies can't digest properly (i.e., cows are not designed to eat corn but it's the bulk of their diet in a feedlot).  So they get pretty sick.  The meat is much less nutritious and is much higher in fat, they develop diseases like E. coli and salmonella, and then the meat is pumped full of drugs and hormones to keep the animals alive under these hellish conditions and to make them grow faster.  Then the meat is usually butchered and processed in a less-than-sanitary factory by illegal alien slave labor (they work under nightmarish conditions for FAR less than minimum wage).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Factory conditions are actually worse for chickens (both meat and egg birds) than they are for cows, but no feedlot animal is doing well.  It's best to avoid feedlot meats of any kind, ESPECIALLY ground beef.  You can get pastured/grassfed meats for not TOO much more money, but you have to pay attention and do a bit more with them, like buying a whole chicken and working with it for a week instead of getting a bag of boneless-skinless breasts.  With beef, you won't be eating steak every night but you can get some stew meat and make that last for a couple of meals, etc.  We seldom have a big slab of meat on the plate; usually we have it as an ingredient in something.  That way it lasts longer and we don't eat as much of it, which is healthier for us too.</p>

 

[cocobean]

<p>I personally think that in moderation it's fine.  From the research that I've done it's more of an issue if you're trying to conceive. Then it's probably a good idea to stay away from it.  We have wheat free tamari soy sauce about once a month and that's the only soy we have.  I don't stress about it but we are ttc so I try to avoid it as much as possible.  I also know that it is healthier if it's fermented. </p>

 

[bcblondie]

<p>We are ttc. Lol. I guess I'll just avoid it for now. I'll try it one day though.</p>

 

[Annie Mac]

<p>What's the issue when you're ttc? I was definitely eating tofu when I conceived my kids. When I was gestating. And when they were nursing. </p>