In a paper published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Dr. Chris Macdonald explored the best sources of protein currently available.
To answer the question, Macdonald had to build a new holistic scoring system that combines measures of environmental impact, health, affordability and availability into a single framework.
Applying the scoring system to 20 commonly consumed protein-rich foods, the analysis found a striking pattern: every product in the highest-scoring quintile was plant-based, while every product in the lowest-scoring quintile was animal-based. Tofu ranked first overall, while cheddar cheese ranked last.
The paper argues that many existing food rating systems focus on only one aspect of a product. While useful, these single-dimension labels can obscure important trade-offs and make it difficult to compare foods comprehensively.
TOFU DOMINATION
Link to open access article https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1677796/full
I’m here for tofu recipes pls
There's a couple communities on Lemmy with a decent number of tofu recipes (plus plenty of other plant-based recipes which are not tofu)
!veganrecipes@sh.itjust.works
!veganhomecooks@lemmy.world
Magic Tofu
Per pound or 454g of extra-firm tofu:
Enjoy on everything! I add it on top of pizzas, in wraps, in a plate with vegetables and rice...
Infredients: block of tofu
Prep: none
Cooking: none
Enjoy one bite at a time
Cover in soy sauce.
For something different, apply this technique to any of the suggested recipes here. ETA: firm and extra firm tofu works best.
Freeze it. Thaw it. Press it. Shred (or cube) it.
It takes on a different texture, and can remove even more liquid through pressing than fresh.
Agedashi tofu is one of my favourite Japanese dishes https://www.justonecookbook.com/agedashi-tofu-2/
A few from my recipesage library. Mapo Tofu,
Garlic Eggplant Crispy Tofu, Tofu Broccoli Quinoa, Tofu Taco Filling. Hmm. I feel like I should have more good tofu recipes...
My personal favourite right now is:
Add together in a bowl, mix and serve.
It's a super quick side that goes well with nearly any of my regular dishes, and I eat it several times a week.
Check out Thai vegetarian recipes. Mostly soy protein and the most flavorful food in the world. You can substitute a lot of Asian ingredients if they are not available in your region very easily too.
Been vegetarian for over 20 years now and focusing on maximalist kitchens (thai, indian etc) is the way to go with vegetarian constraint!
Grate a block of tofu on a cheese grater with large holes, fry with oil and some soy sauce in a pan while stirring. Add a diced onion as it gets firmer, then garlic, then strained tomato and italien herbs.
Voila, vegan Bolognese.
Or just spread some hot sauce on tofu slices and fry both sides. Goes great with many things.
Crispy Tofu and Veg Stacks with Pea Puree and Lemon Herb Sauce
I hate almost everything in this recipe but somehow it's insanely deliciious.
Crispy salt and pepper tofu
I love this one a lot, i marinate the tofu in soy sauce, oil and a little 5 spice after freezing and pressing it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUI8Xu6Xpec (also contains chickpeas and dates)
I tried this recently, and while it doesn't quite match the texture and sweetness of "real" cakes, it's ... not bad. If you pair it with something very sweet like whipped cream, it's actually very good.
Scrambled tofu!
Gotta translate this from french https://l-herboriste.com/tofu-brouille/
I did something like this recently to add texture to chili, worked pretty well!
I don't have a recipe as my wife is the tofu cook, but she uses silken tofu and cashews to make a shockingly good vegan mac and cheese. One of my kids became a vegetarian last year and now most of our meals are vegetarian or vegan just because it is too expensive and time consuming to make different meals.