Using Tofu Alternatives
I’ve been on a big vegetarian kick lately. I’ve had very little meat, and have substituted my meats with soy products and tofu products. I’ve also substituted most of my dairy with tofu and soy product replacements as well. I’ve really done this not only for health reasons, but for digestive reasons. I personally find nondairy and non-meat foods much easier to digest. I get constipated less, can actually digest better with less gas and discomfort after eating, and feel a lot lighter after meals instead of feeling like I just ate a bowling ball.
Best part is, I actually prefer soy products and tofu products more as opposed to meat and dairy products. The cheeses I buy are soy or tofu based, and come like wrapped American cheese. There are also actually blocks of soy cheese available for different types of cooking, but I have to admit I haven’t been brave enough to try that one yet.
Instead of a stir fry with chicken, I would make one with baked tofu, which is satisfying and tastes almost like a meat because of its hardy texture and the ability to stick to your ribs so to speak. I also use a tofu based sour cream and cream cheese by Tofutti brand, which tastes excellent. My boyfriend, who is on less of a veggie kick, did say these products took a little getting used to, but now taste pretty good and offer a good nondairy alternative to topping your foods without the added gas and discomfort.
You do have to watch that you don’t over eat some of the Tofutti products though, because they can be fattening when consumed in large amounts. Just because they are dairy alternative, unfortunately doesn’t mean that they are magically fat or calorie free, so ease up if you feel like you can over top your foods with these items.
You’d be surprised at how normal you can eat if you are a vegetarian or vegan these days. There’s no need to be deprived of protein, as there are plenty of healthy protein alternatives to meats, dairies and cheeses. I know when people picture vegetarianism, they tend to think of it as a very restrictive diet, but it really isn’t that way nowadays, with companies now catering to the widening vegetarian segment.
