High Protein Tofu Stir-Fry

Welcome back friends :) Hope you enjoyed the stroganoff as much as I did! It is simple, and something you can add your own flare to in the future!

Today, we’ll jump into some Eastern Asian flavors with a High Protein Tofu Stir-Fry.

As for my friends reading who may still be on the fence about this diet change, or struggling to maintain it, I wanted to dedicate this post to reassure some of your potential concerns.

One obvious ones being protein.

This word comes up nine out ten times when someone finds out you don’t eat meat. I have had nutritionless diets in the past (ya know, pop tart for breakfast, lunchable at lunch, pizza rolls for dinner), and no one cared. But if you’ve surrendered animal products, you know what I’m saying when suddenly everyone around you becomes a nutritionist.

But I have no room to judge.

This was something I did everytime I met a vegan or vegetarian.

“Where do you get your protein?” I would ask,  assuming that all they ate was carrots and lettuce.

Only now that I am “one of them” can I assure you that I do get plenty of protein.

To be sure, I track my nutrients on an app, brilliantly named “Nutrients”. Each day, as a result of eating things such as oatmeal, beans, lentils, tofu, hummus, or nuts, I not only meet, but exceed my body’s specific protein requirements of at least 54 grams a day. Even on a “bad” day, I hit my minimum easily.

In fact, protein only truly originates from plants to begin with. Animals do not produce it; they eat it. And many plant-based foods exceed meat in protein.

For example, you can get more protein (and nutrients) in a black-bean quesadilla than a chicken quesadilla. One cup of tempeh (a great meat substitute) has 33 grams of protein. That’s 13 more grams of protein than in a cup of cooked beef! A 3-ounce serving of lentils exceeds a 3-ounce serving of ribs in protein, as well.

And, you can always use versatile things like spinach in smoothies or quinoa in baking to add protein to your diet.  

Protein, and nutrients in general, are definitely important to be mindful of, especially if you choose to remove meat and animals products. But according to the CDC, it is very rare to have a protein deficiency. In fact, you’re more likely to eat too much protein.

More often than not, a lack of fiber is the real issue in the American diet. According to “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010”, you should get about 28 grams of fiber a day. But the average American consumes 15 grams in their daily diet.

As a nation, we need to double our fiber intake, which is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains.

To be frank, protein has been used as a marketing scheme to make us believe we need high amounts of meat and dairy in our diet, when really, a recommended serving size of meat is 3 ounces: roughly the size of a deck of cards.

This issue of excess is one that I will discuss tomorrow. It is arguably the driving force behind many health, environmental, and even human rights issues surrounding animal agriculture.

On that fun note, how does a healthy and protein-packed stir fry sound?

Between the tofu, edamame, broccoli, and even rice, each element of this dish adds protein to your diet.

Serves: 2

Time: 50 minutes (can take several hours before this to drain and marinade tofu).

What you’ll need:

For stir-fry:

½ white onion, diced

3 cups of broccoli florets (approx. 1 full medium pot)

1 block of tofu

1 cup brown rice

Sesame seeds

Microwavable edamame

For tofu marinade:

1 tbsp. sriracha

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. garlic

For sauce:

¼ cup veggie broth

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 clove or 1 tsp garlic

1 tsp of honey or agave

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp sesame oil

What you’ll do:

1. Open and drain tofu; press between two plates in fridge, and stick 3 cans on top to drain excess liquid. You can do this anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
2. Once done draining, cube the tofu
3. Mix the marinade ingredients into a large bowl
4. Coat the tofu in the marinade. I let it marinade in the fridge for another couple hours, but you can go right into baking after coating if pressed for time.
5. Preheat the oven to 400
6. Bake tofu for 15 minutes on each side
7. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of rice either on the stove, or I highly recommend a rice cooker!
8. After you flip the tofu, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
9. Boil the broccoli and onion for 10 minutes, or until soft
10. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients into a large bowl
11. Cook the edamame according to the instructions
12. And, for the finale, add all ingredients together. You can use a large pan or bowl for this
13. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
14. Enjoy!