The Healthy Protein of Tofu

Tofu has served as a health food for centuries, since the days when Buddhists circulated it among converts as an alternative to meat. Indeed, its chief benefit is that it is a lean and meat-free source of protein. Of course, since there are many plant-based proteins in the world, why has tofu enjoyed such a special reputation?

While it is true that there are many vegan-friendly sources of protein, very few of these qualify as what is called a “complete protein”. To be a complete protein, a food must contain all nine of the different amino acids that the human body requires to stay healthy. An improper understanding of these amino acids has been the downfall of many people trying to maintain a vegetarian diet.

Tofu is special in that it is one of the very few complete proteins that doesn’t come from an animal. The one problem with tofu as a source of protein is that you need to eat more tofu to get all the protein you need. The good news is that there are many great ways to get all the tofu you need at our Japanese restaurant in Seattle, including our kitsune roll, our golden tofu roll, our tofu tempura, and more.