Baked tofu is a staple in my home. It’s a great way to add texture and flavor to tofu–and it’s healthier than frying. With just two simple seasonings, the tofu is well flavored. I made this dish at work the other day and everyone really loved it–especially the kids! They were very happy to take home the recipe.

Ingredients

2 (14–16-ounce) blocks of extra-firm tofu (patted dry), cut into ¼-inch
Coconut oil or your favorite cooking oil
Nutritional yeast
Liquid aminos or soy sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet with a generous amount of oil. Place tofu slices onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with approximately ½ teaspoon liquid aminos (or to taste), then sprinkle on ½ teaspoon nutritional yeast—enough to coat each piece of tofu. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until bottom of tofu turns golden brown. When golden, turn over and cook the other side until golden brown (10–15 minutes). Add more oil, if needed. When done, drain on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast

• With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is considered to be 55% high quality protein. In addition to that, it has 15 minerals.
• For vegetarians and those who are on a low cholesterol diet, yeast is a great substitute for meat, dairy products or other sources of proteins that are also rich in fats.
• It is a rich source of vitamin B complex which helps in managing stress levels, maintains a good metabolic rate, prevents cancer of the pancreas and ensures a healthy skin.
  In fact, vitamin B12 which is deficient in most vegetarian foods is also added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to yeast to increase its health benefits.
• Nutritional yeast consists of a trace mineral – chromium, which is known as Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). It is beneficial for dealing with diabetes, low blood pressure and fluctuating blood sugar levels.
• It is also rich in manganese, copper, vanadium, molybdenum and lithium.
• Other health benefits include:
  It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
  It improves blood production.
  It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
  It improves liver health and function.

Nutritional Yeast in Your Diet

Its nutty and cheese like flavor also has a role to play in popularizing this supplement. It is favored by many people as a cheese substitute. Here are some ways in which it can be included in the diet:

• Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
• Put in on your scrambled eggs.
• Use it for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
• Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
• Use it with fried or mashed potatoes.
• It can be used with gravies and sauces.
• Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.
• Mix 1 tablespoon with every 2 cups of vegetable mixture for burgers.
• Add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to each cup of flour while making baked foods.
• What is best about this yeast is that it is a tasty way of staying healthy. Just sprinkle a few flakes in your soup or in your breakfast cereal, and get a tasty meal fortified with proteins, vitamins and minerals. 

Tofu Nutrition

Soy, which tofu is made from, is considered to be a complete food since it contains all eight essential amino acids. Of course, tofu is packed with protein, which is why vegetarians use it as a meat substitute. In fact, according to World’s Healthiest Foods, one 4-ounce block of tofu is filled with 9.16 grams of protein, which is more than 18 percent of the Daily Value. Here are some of tofu’s other nutrients:

• Iron, copper and manganese: This nutrient trifecta helps to absorb one another in the body, and tofu is a great source for all three. Four ounces of tofu provides about a third of the Daily Value of iron and manganese, and about 11 percent of the Daily Value of copper.
• Calcium: Calcium sulfate is used as a coagulant in tofu, which is essentially made from soy milk. Four ounces of tofu contains about 10 percent of the Daily Value.
• Omega 3: Fish is the most common source of these fatty acids, but for those who are allergic to fish or just don’t prefer it, tofu is a great replacement source for Omega 3.Four ounces of tofu contains more than 14 percent of the Daily Value.
• Selenium: Certain types of fish and nuts are good sources of selenium, but so is tofu; four ounces of it contains more than 14 percent of the Daily Value.