How to Get Your Kids to Eat Tofu
Children of all ages can learn to love tofu if it is prepared in a delicious way. A powerhouse of nutrition, a 4-oz. block of tofu contains more than 9 g of protein, 6 mg of iron and 100 mg of calcium. It also packed with iron, copper, omega-3 fatty acids and selenium. Very low-fat and virtually tasteless, tofu can “morph” into savory and sweet dishes alike. Soy milk today is a much more elegant and silky creature than it was in the 1970s and is often enriched with calcium and vitamin D to equal the same vitamin profile of cow’s milk, with fewer calories and less fat. Creatively experiment cooking and baking with tofu to get your children to try it, too.
Things You'll Need
- Tofu
- Soy milk
- Fruit
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Cocoa powder
- Mini chocolate chips, grain-sweetened
- Broccoli
- Red, green peppers
- Turmeric
- Onions
- Cauliflower
- New potatoes
- Rice vinegar
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Gingerroot
Instructions
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1
Use soy milk at breakfast. Soy milk is made from soybeans and is also a tofu product. Combine unsweetened soy milk with bananas, strawberries and honey and whir in a blender to make a breakfast drink that can be poured into plastic bottles and sipped on the way to school. Pour soy milk over hot oatmeal and sliced bananas and cinnamon or cold cereal with other fruit, as it is easily used wherever cow's milk is ordinarily used.
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2
Crumble and scramble. Crumble firm tofu into a pan with olive oil and cook until it's soft. Add chopped spinach, broccoli, carrots, red peppers and onions for a high-protein, high-fiber and low-fat tofu-veggie scramble. Add turmeric to color the tofu yellow so it resembles eggs.
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3
Make afternoon snacks that will have your child's friends crowding your kitchen over tofu. Blend 4 oz. of silky tofu with 1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cup maple syrup. Pour the mixture into small dessert cups and sprinkle with organic grain-sweetened mini chocolate chips and serve. High-protein, low-fat chocolate pudding never tasted this good.
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4
Cut and grill tofu for dinner. Cube tofu and marinate in rice vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce and gingerroot slices. Add cherry tomatoes, cauliflower florets, new potatoes and green peppers. Arrange the pieces onto small wooden skewers and grill until cooked.
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5
Enrich baked goods and deserts with soy milk. Replace half the liquid in any pancake, waffle or cookie batter with unsweetened soy milk. Serve chocolate soy milk with cookies and make the chocolate pudding recipe above and pour into a graham cracker crust and chill. Children enjoy foods that have flavor and do not spike their blood sugar levels. Small children may not like spicy foods, but children of all ages can enjoy tofu if it is prepared attractively.
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Tips & Warnings
Tofu will absorb the flavors of anything added to it so it can be cubed and added to soups, spaghetti sauce, three-bean chili or even puddings.
There are many excellent frozen soy desserts that are as decadent as ice cream and are much lower in fat, calories and sugar.
Some people are allergic to soy. As with allergies to other foods such as cow’s milk, corn or wheat, it's best to reduce or eliminate soy from a sensitive child’s meals.
