Sustaining Us

Contemplating the title of this one was easy, Tofu. A clever name for this post would do nothing to animate this plain, bland food. In fact, the only appropriate title I could come up with was “Tofu, The Cook’s Chameleon,” a name derived from Tofu’s ability to be shaped and flavored like almost any food.

Coming home from a long day in NYC on Sunday, dinner had still yet to hit the pan. With just a few hours until Monday, I wanted a good nutritious start to the week. Since beginning my writings on this page, I’ve sincerely done my best to live sustainable, so in the interest of the planet I visited Basic Foods, a stalwart of Hoboken’s organic scene. Three food groups needed to be covered tonight, protein, carbs, and fats. Carbs and fats would be covered with my mix of pasta and olive oil, but protein was a challenge. Animal meat is resource intensive. Beef, chicken, and pork all require plenty of water, produce and processing to make it to my table. Tofu is heavily processed but utilizes a less intense supply chain. It should be noted that the spectrum is covered by Tofu, if you’re looking for any meat product, tofu can substitute. I’ve yet to taste the varieties but with time, I will report back. My choice was an organic “Firm,” variety, as opposed to “Extra Firm.”

By the end my basket was full of Silk Chocolate Milk(Soy Milk), Organic Red Swiss Chard( A Leafy, Spinach-Like Green), and “Firm” Tofu. The meal was simple and full of flavor, frying tofu in teriyaki sauce is very nice, and is complimented nicely along steamed greens, and a plate of pasta and olive oil.

Satisfying on so many levels, I had a topic to write about today. While the health benefits and downfalls of soy are debated and perhaps overexaggerated, let’s look at it from a far. Soy is sustainable. Sustainable for our bodies and the planet, it is less taxing on the environment to produce and is a substitute for meats that contain greater amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, and preservatives. Not to mention… tofu is cheap. A whole 14 oz. is priced at just $2 dollars in Basic Foods. Compare that to an organic pound of any meat. The same serving of organic salmon costs $13 at Freshdirect.com. Tofu, the chameleon of all foods, is good for you and the environment, give it a go sometime.

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