My body only tolerates small amounts of soy. It is like giving me a large dose of a very potent laxative!!! What can I substitute for tofu in recipes? Thanks for your help.

I like to use lentils for a protein substitute. Chickpeas are very high in protein and fiber and aren't too calorie dense. Plus they're yummy in all sorts of things.

Thanks for the help!

I love lentils, because of all dried beans you can cook them quickly without worrying about an overnight soak. Recently, though, I found dried beans at my not-quite-local farmer's market. I know the provenance and origin of these dried beans, and I have found that they are much tastier than the ones that have been sitting for who-knows-how long in some dusty warehouse somewhere.

Thus far I have tried pinto, hutterite, and black beans. They also had black and white cow beans; purple beans of some sort, adzuki beans, and on and on. Somewhat more expensive than the bagged dried beans in the grocery, but worth it for the difference in taste and the confidence that they are harvested close by. Not a perfect substitute for tofu in recipes, but a great source of protein.

I would think that cottage cheese might substitute for liquified tofu? It also has good protein. Finally, there are some mycoprotein (a fungus amongus! ) meat substitutes out there that you might try - Quorn is the name brand.

Thanks again.

I have not had animal products for a long time because of bad blood work.

Thanks for the cottage idea. I had forgotten all about it. Doc has given me the green light on a "little' cheese!!

Thanks again.

You might try seitan. I believe it is soy-free (made from wheat gluten) and it has a nice "meaty" texture that could be a nice substitute for tofu.

You can google seitan (since we can't post links here, I can't post any) and see what it's about. You can even make it yourself. At one time, I used a lot of it because I wanted to up my protein but I was lucky enough to have a health food store nearby so I could get it ready-made. There are also different flavored ones (like there are tofu).

Djuna

if you can tolerate gluten, then seitan is a good meat analogue. i recommend making it yourself using a steaming method, as its much easier to get a good result than boiling.

do you have a problem with all soy or just processed soy like tofu? tempeh is made from soy but it is fermented and contains whole beans, so it might be easier to digest. you can sub tempeh for tofu in just about everything if you can handle it!