This is one of my favorite tofu dishes. I often prepare this at home for breakfast or brunch. It’s a great alternative to scrambled eggs. People really enjoy it!

Ingredients

1 (14–16-ounce) block extra-firm tofu
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup diced bell peppers (1 small pepper)
Optional: ½ cup veggie bacon or veggie ham, diced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup nutritional yeast
3–4 teaspoons liquid aminos
2 teaspoons hot sauce (or to taste)
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat. Add turmeric and stir into the oil. Add the onions and peppers, and cook for about 5–10 minutes until tender. Add veggie “meat” (if using) and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes. Add the tofu, crumbling it as you add it to the pan. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook for 10–15 minutes to allow tofu to absorb the flavors of all the ingredients. Serve warm or hot. Serves 2–4.

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.

Disease Protector

So what do all of these nutrients do for you? Here are some of the ways that tofu can benefit your health:

• Iron and copper are essential for hemoglobin synthesis, which produces energy. Copper and manganese are responsible for an enzyme that destroys free radicals, and copper itself can help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Calcium is, of course, the vitamin that keeps your bones strong. It can help reduce the bone loss in those with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Omega 3 fatty acids are good for your heart and can help prevent blood clots. They also can prevent cholesterol from clogging your arteries.
• Selenium is a powerful protector against free radicals. It works with iodine to help regulate the thyroid and has been shown to repair DNA, making it a cancer-fighter as well.

Soy also contains compounds called isoflavones that have many beneficial properties as well.

• Isoflavones can mimic estrogen and are beneficial to women during menopause. The isoflavones can reduce some of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.
• Isoflavones have also been associated with lowering the risk of breast and prostate cancer.
• Lower levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and higher levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, have been attributed to isoflavones.