Sneaky Tofu Tricks By Debora Myers of Ladyfire.com We've all heard of the wonderful attributes of Tofu, the oriental soybean curd. The isoflavones are wonderful for all of us, from helping with menopausal symptoms (it's high in phytoestrogens) to its high protein content and cancer preventative properties. Numerous studies have shown that people who eat soy have a much lower incidence of breast cancer and heart disease. Many American parents mistakenly believe that tofu is hard to prepare, however with a little experimenting busy parents will discover that this healthy food can be prepared in minutes and your kids will even eat it. Tofu is plain and mild flavored, which makes it easier for the tofu to pick up the flavors you season it with. The traditional asian method is to sauté bite-sized pieces of it separately on medium-high heat, add soy sauce and garlic and serve it with stir-fry veggies and rice. This is fast food that's actually good for you. My children also enjoy it cooked in slabs and served with a Teriyaki sauce. For a crunchy treat, try breading it with breadcrumbs and lightly frying. It browns faster with the breading so lower your heat. Non-breaded tofu takes a little longer to brown. If you don't think your family will eat plain tofu, you can get sneaky by hiding it in their favorite foods. If your family loves lasagna, drain the firm tofu, cut the block in half and wrap the two pieces in a towel to absorb the excess water. Now grate it and toss with mozzarella cheese. Add this to lasagna instead of just plain mozzarella. Cheese is high in fat, which our children and we do not need. I like to add drained frozen spinach to my lasagna to sneak in greens for my kids. They usually eat it right up. The tomato and cheese cover up any evidence of my trickery! Is oatmeal a breakfast staple? For a quick breakfast with soy protein, add tofu to the blender, and puree it. Next add it to the hot cereal then doctor it up with honey, cinnamon and a little salt. My kids will slurp it down and ask for more! Does your family devour spaghetti? When you finish your plate of traditional meat-based spaghetti, I'm sure you've noticed the orange grease pooling on your plate. Can you imagine what that's doing to your body? Next time, try substituting tofu for meat. Here's how: drain and squeeze the tofu (use the firm variety), crumble and sauté, season with Italian seasonings and add to the sauce. This is a good way to sneak in soy protein. Remember, that most child experts agree that you must introduce a new food three or four times before the kids will eventually eat it. We are what we eat. So be creative and eat well at the same time! Also see: • Items for a healthy kitchen Debora Myers is the editor of Ladyfire.com, an award-winning Web site for modern women. Ladyfire features literature, romance and love stories, articles of empowerment, inspiration, women's issues, health, self-esteem, advice, horoscopes and chat. Copyright 2001 Ladyfire.com