Tofu and Veggie Scramble

Tofu scramble is a great alternative to eggs. This protein and veggie packed meal is full of flavor and can be eaten day or night!

So often we forget how important food is. And how much impact what we do and don’t put in our bodies has on our overall mental and physical health. It’s taken me several years to really warm to the idea of eating a more plant based diet. I was certain that as long as I was eating mostly whole foods, my health was good. I didn’t really know how much better I’d feel physically and mentally, just by decreasing my animal protein intake, sugar, dairy and gluten products. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change all at once. And I like to remind all of my patients of this frequently. This is about making small changes daily over time, eventually figuring out what foods make us feel the best inside and out.

"Evidence shows that eating whole plant foods is a great way to get in more nutrition with less harm AND is one of the best ways to prevent, treat and even reverse many chronic diseases." -American College of Lifestyle Medicine

It can feel hard to transition from eating a diet primarily made up of animal protein, which is why I encourage my patients to start with small changes and building on them weekly or monthly until it feels easier. There are lots of ways I like to swap out an animal protein for a plant based one. Personally, I like swapping chicken for beans or quinoa, but do what works for you. I often make a veggie filled salad for lunch or a cauliflower rice bowl that is filled with veggies and topped with beans or quinoa instead of chicken or another animal protein. I’d encourage you to think about swapping out one of your daily animal based proteins with a plant based one and see how you feel! Now, I do still eat animal protein, but I just eat less than I used to. This is about figuring out what things make you feel good and support your overall health and wellbeing.

One swap that I thought would be crazy was swapping eggs for tofu for breakfast. I love eggs, and wasn't sure how I would feel about making that change. But once I started making this tofu scramble, I fell in love. I still eat eggs, just less often. I thought I'd share my recipe with you!

Tofu and Veggie Scramble

Ingredients:

• 12-14 oz tofu

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 1 green pepper, diced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 cup of mushrooms, diced

• 1 cup of kale, spinach or a favorite green

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp ground Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)

• Top with Kimchi for extra flavor

Directions

1. If using silken tofu, there’s no need to press (meaning press the water out). If using a firm (non-silken) tofu, start by draining it. Use a lint free kitchen towel and wrap the tofu block pressing as much water out of it as possible. I often let it sit while I chop my veggies. Once most of the water is pressed out, use your hands and tear the drained and pressed tofu into irregular bite size pieces.

2. Preheat your pan (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Heat about 1 tablespoon of your favorite healthy oil (I like olive oil or unrefined coconut oil for this) in your pan. Add your onion, peppers and mushrooms and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add in your greens and sauté them down with the rest of your veggies. Note that kale takes longer to cook down and soften, so you can add it in earlier than spinach.

3. Stir in the chili flakes and then add the smoked paprika, turmeric, onion and garlic powders and toss to coat, taking care not to burn your veggies. Add your salt and pepper and then add your torn up tofu.

4. Use a flat end wooden spoon to break up the tofu into smaller pieces to your liking. I like keeping some a bit bigger to keep the texture more fluffy like eggs. Stir to coat well all over in the spice and veggie mix.

5. Cook for a few minutes until the tofu is warmed through and coated all over with spices. It will look yellow, like eggs : ) Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

6. Garnish with whatever you’d like. Options are scallions, chives or pesto. My absolute favorite thing to top my tofu and egg scrambles with now is KIMCHI! You’ll just have to trust me on this one.

Generally this makes 4 servings if you’re using a standard size pack of tofu. I like to look at the pack and see how many servings it contains and then I’ll portion it out based on that for the week. This is such a versatile food option for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can pair it with oatmeal, sprouted, whole grain, or gluten free toast, brown rice, have it on a whole grain tortilla (or my new personal fav are the Siete almond flour tortillas) or with a side of beans for lunch or dinner. Also, you can use any veggie combo that you'd like here. I recently tried using summer squash and zucchini and really enjoyed it! The goal is to have at least 4 cups of vegetables, any mix you'd like, if you have 4 servings of tofu in your pack.

We'd love to hear from you! If you tried this, how did you like it? Did you make any changes? And if you're struggling trying to eat a more plant based diet, feel free to send us a message or schedule a free consultation or wellness appointment. We're here to help!