If you aren’t a vegetarian now and haven’t been one in

the past, you probably also haven’t eaten tofu many

times. In fact, the only time most people hear about tofu

it is in jokes aimed at vegetarians.



So why is it that vegetarians eat this stuff all the time?

Is is it simply because they have no other choice?



The answer is both yes and no.



Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean you have to eat tofu. In

fact, there are many vegetarians who never eat tofu or any

popular meat-replacement dishes--such as "veggie burgers"

or "tofurkey"--for that matter.



As long as they research and create meal plans, vegetarians

can maintain a healthy diet eating traditional meals or

ethnic dishes.



Tofu is often cited as something exclusively vegetarian

because it is a versatile, highly-nutritional, and can

be used to replace meat dishes.



Not only can it be created in textures, consistencies, and

flavors that simulate a range of meats--from turkey to

hamburg--but it can also actually replace and far exceed

the nutritional value of similar meat dishes.



While vegetarians do not actually need to consume tofu,

doing so is often a wise dietary choice--and also the next

best thing to eating similar meat products (for those who

enjoyed meat dishes before they became vegetarians).



Tofu is a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie food made

out of steamed and compressed soy beans. Not only is it a

great source of protein--which many vegetarians lack--but

it is also heart-healthy and has been linked to a decreased

risk in cancer.



In addition to being served as a meat alternative, tofu is

also served in a number of spicy and ethnic dishes, which

were never intended to contain meat. Many ethnic Indian

dishes contain large amounts of tofu cooked and spiced

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