What foods should not be eaten with tofu? A full analysis of the benefits and drawbacks
As the most common soy product——tofu appears very frequently in people's three meals. Tofu is good value and also boosts qi and clears dryness-heat, sowhat foods should not be eaten with tofu? What are the benefits and drawbacks?
1. What foods should not be eaten with tofu?
1. Although tofu is suitable for all ages, it is best not to eat it together with the following foods.
| Combination | Adverse reaction |
| Tofu + honey | Causes diarrhea |
| Tofu + scallion, spinach | Affects the body's absorption of calcium |
| Tofu + bamboo shoots, wild rice stem, bitter melon | Easily forms stones in the body |
| Tofu + Ceylon spinach | Destroys nutrients |
| Tofu + mutton | Affects health |
| Tofu + persimmon | Easily forms gallstones, urinary stones, etc. |
2. Although tofu should not be eaten with the above foods, pairing it with the following foods complements it nicely.
| Combination | Effect |
| Tofu + enoki mushroom | Lowers blood pressure and blood lipids |
| Tofu + tomato, shiitake mushroom | Strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes yin and moistens dryness |
| Tofu + napa cabbage, nori | Clears heat, detoxifies, promotes urination |
| Tofu + kelp, salmon, turbot | Warms and nourishes the spleen and stomach, supplements protein |
| Tofu + Fritillaria cirrhosa, ginger | Clears heat and moistens the lungs, quenches thirst |
| Tofu + lettuce, strawberry, zucchini | Weight loss and beauty |
3. Although tofu is delicious, these groups of people should be careful to eat less or not eat tofu.
(1) People with iodine deficiency should not eat tofu: the saponin contained in the soybeans used to make tofu can promote the body's excretion of iodine, so if the body lacks iodine, it is not suitable to eat.
(2) Patients with gout and high blood uric acid concentration should also not eat tofu.
(3) People with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold should also eat less or not eat tofu: tofu is a cold-natured food, and if people with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold eat it, it can easily cause diarrhea and other adverse reactions.
2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of tofu?
Tofu has long been called “plant meat”, which is inseparable from the many nutrients it contains, and eating tofu regularly has many benefits, but eating too much tofu also has drawbacks. So how exactly does it work? Let's find out together below!
(1) Benefits of eating an appropriate amount of tofu:
1. Eating tofu regularly can prevent and treat constipation in the elderly: because the body functions of the elderly decline, their digestion is also poor, and tofu, as a soft food, is very easy to digest, so it can be given to the elderly in an appropriate amount.
2. Tofu can resist tumors and blood clots: eating tofu regularly has a certain effect on inhibiting tumor growth, and the active ingredients contained in tofu have obvious anticancer activity, and can also inhibit platelet aggregation, playing a role in preventing blood clots.
3. Eating tofu regularly can also reduce women's risk of breast cancer: soy isoflavones can affect the breast's response to estrogen, thereby lowering the risk of breast cancer.
4. Eating tofu regularly has the effects of promoting fluid production, moistening dryness, clearing heat and detoxifying: tofu is a cold and cool-natured food, so it is very helpful for clearing heat and relieving dryness.
5. Eating tofu regularly has the effects of beautifying, aiding weight loss, speeding up metabolism and delaying aging.
6. Eating tofu regularly can also prevent cardiovascular disease, prevent osteoporosis, improve memory and prevent and treat senile dementia.
(2) Drawbacks of eating too much tofu:
1. It increases the burden on the human kidneys and can even cause kidney function decline: everyone knows that tofu is rich in plant protein, and if too much is ingested, it will inevitably increase the workload of the kidneys, and over time the kidneys will definitely be damaged.
2. It causes indigestion, abdominal pain and diarrhea: too much protein ingested cannot be digested, making diarrhea likely.
3. Long-term consumption of excessive amounts may also trigger arteriosclerosis, endangering health.
3. How should tofu be made to taste better?
1. Sichuan cuisine's Mapo Tofu: to make a good Mapo Tofu, prepare doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorn, minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, minced meat, chopped scallion, and chili; first blanch the cubed tofu in water, take it out and drain it, then heat a pan and add oil, after the oil is hot add doubanjiang and stir-fry until red oil appears, add minced ginger and garlic, Sichuan peppercorn and chili, stir-fry until fragrant and add minced meat; after it changes color, add water and bring to a boil, add the tofu, finally add soy sauce and simmer until flavorful, then it can be served and enjoyed.
2. The must-choose nourishing crucian carp tofu soup: prepare scallion, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, salt, chicken essence, etc., score the crucian carp with a knife and fry both sides in hot oil, add clean water and scallion, ginger and garlic, add cooking wine and stew until milky white, then add tofu and cook for four to five minutes, add salt and chicken essence to season, and it can be served.
3. The home-cooking must-know pan-fried tofu: prepare diced green and red peppers, minced scallion, ginger and garlic, light soy sauce, and water starch; cut the tofu into thick slices and fry in an oiled pan until golden brown on both sides, then take it out, stir-fry the scallion, ginger and garlic until fragrant and add the green and red peppers to stir-fry, add the fried tofu and soy sauce and stir evenly, finally pour in the water starch, cover the pan and reduce the sauce, and when the sauce is almost reduced, add edible salt, stir evenly, and it can be served.