Tofu is a commonly used ingredient in Asian cuisine, especially Chinese. There are many ways to cook tofu—you can steam it with chili bean sauce, fry it and top with salt and pepper, stir it with soy sauce, make it into soup, or even serve it as a cold dish without cooking. No matter how it’s prepared, tofu is a nutritious and delicious option!
This tofu recipe can help patients with cancer manage some of their side effects from treatment, including swallowing difficulty and low appetite. This cold, soft, sweet, and sour dish may help individuals eat more and contribute important nutrients.
Nutritional Content and Health Benefits
Ingredient Highlights
- Tofu is a great source of protein and calcium. It also has anti-inflammatory effects since it is rich in soy isoflavones [i]. For individuals who have severe side effects from treatment, it is a great food to choose.
- Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. They also contain lycopene, which has antioxidant effects and is linked with reduced risk of heart disease and cancer [ii, iii].
- Marmalade sauce contains a lot of vitamin C. The sweet and sour taste may help increase appetite as well.
Recipe
Tofu and Tomatoes with Marmalade Sauce
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 7 oz soft tofu
- 3 oz tomatoes
For the Marmalade Sauce:
- 1.5 oz milk powder
- 3.5 oz soft tofu
- 1.5 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
- 0.5 oz honey
- 2 orange wedges
Instructions
- Put all the marmalade sauce ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir to a smooth consistency. Add the orange wedges and stir. Refrigerate for later use.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- Cut the tofu in half and plate with the tomatoes. Pour the sauce on top and enjoy!
References:
[i] Sahin, I., Bilir, B., Ali, S., Sahin, K., & Kucuk, O. (2019). Soy Isoflavones in Integrative Oncology: Increased Efficacy and Decreased Toxicity of Cancer Therapy. Integrative cancer therapies, 18, 1534735419835310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735419835310
[ii] Carini, F., David, S., Tomasello, G., Mazzola, M., Damiani, P., Rappa, F., Battaglia, L., Gerges Geagea, A., Jurjus, R., & Leone, A. (2017). Colorectal cancer: an update on the effects of lycopene on tumor progression and cell proliferation. Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents, 31(3), 769–774.
[iii] Senkus, K. E., Tan, L., & Crowe-White, K. M. (2019). Lycopene and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 10(1), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy069