That's Fit

Who says you can't eat healthfully and still have a burger? Burgers are standard Memorial Day fare -- and treats throughout the summer. But, with some tasteful substitutions, you can have your burger and eat it too. Shape Magazine has a list of their five top burgers:

• Barbecued Tofu-Potato burgers have 351 calories and 6.6 grams of fat.
  
• Curried Pork Burgers with Mango Chutney have 364 calories and 6.9 grams of fat.
• Grilled Portobello burgers have 394 calories and 12.9 grams of fat.
• Spicy Wasabi Salmon burgers have 209 calories and 8 grams of fat.
• Tuna Burgers with Horseradish Mayo have 294 calories and 4.9 grams of fat.

You can also try modifying the traditional burger by using ground turkey instead of beef, opting for whole-grain buns, trying a veggie burger, loading up on veggies, and choosing healthy condiments.

I recently wrote about how much protein we need to get each day to eat a nutritious diet. And while getting our protein fix isn't difficult for those of us who eat some sort of meat with most of our meals, it's a bit harder for someone who doesn't eat meat -- or dairy either. Vegan protein sounds like an oxymoron to some people, but it's really not. Fitsugar recently compiled a list of the top 5 vegan proteins:

• Tempeh: (like tofu but different -- read more here). There's 22 g of protein in 4 oz of tempeh.
  
• Tofu: It has 19.9 g of protein per 1/2 cup.
  
• Seitan: (a form of wheat gluten.) There's 19.9 g of protein for each 3oz.
  
• Soy Milk: (the plain variety). It has 11 g of protein for each cup.
  
• Edamame: Eat half a cup and you'll get 10 g of protein.
  
  

Any vegans out there want to share their main sources of protein?

Soy products are a great way to incorporate lean protein into your diet, and you don't have to be vegetarian to appreciate the benefits. However, while many people are familiar with tofu, I get a lot of puzzled looks when I mention tempeh. While both are made from soybeans, they're as different as salmon and steak.

This chart breaks down the differences between tempeh and tofu, and basically it makes the conclusion that tempeh is less processed than tofu, contains more protein and fiber, and therefore is somewhat better for you. And, to be honest, I actually prefer the taste and texture of tempeh to tofu. However, if you're used to cooking with tofu, you can't just substitute tempeh instead.

Click through the gallery for some recipes including tempeh. If you have a favorite recipe of your own, be sure to leave a comment!

When I went on a three-month trek around Thailand a few years ago, I assumed I would lose weight effortlessly because I wouldn't be filling up on my regular diet of carbs and convenience food. I'm not alone -- when it comes to food, we tend to assume that Asian cuisine is healthier than North American fare. After all, while our food tends to be high in fat, refined carbs and sugar and other processed ingredients, Asian food tends to be low in fat and high in veggies.

But how accurate are our assumptions about Asian cuisine? I'll tell you one thing -- I didn't lose weight on a diet of green curry with rice, pad thai and tom kha gai soup. In fact, I gained a couple. So I wonder ...

Tofu sounds disgusting to many of you -- after all, do soybean curds sound scrumptious and tempting? To the majority of people used to standard western food cuisine, that answer is a standard no.

But, tofu should not be counted out just on looks, consistency and the name alone. There are ways to really make tofu tasty (in salads especially), and nothing like adding healthy spices and peppers in a kind of mixed bag of healthy foods can dress up tofu as well.

This recipe is one I'll be making after the new year, as it is a virtual feast of healthy foods with a rich Moroccan underpinning that sounds delicious. If you try it, sound off in comments below and let us know if you like it!

When most people think of health foods, they often think of soy-based products like soy milk and tofu. But is soy really healthy? Did anybody check the facts before labelling soy as healthy? Dr. Mercola did and he has some pretty strong things to say about soy. Check out his thoughts on soy by clicking here and here.

Dr. Mercola wants everyone who thinks soy is healthy to check out The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food by Dr. Kaayla Daniel. In it, she reveals some startling things about soy. Like? It apparently impedes sexual maturation in boys and speeds it up in girls. It also supposedly can cause thyroid problems and endocrine disruption in adults. And if it's given to infants, it's hormonal effects can be irreversible.

Hm. These are some pretty strong allegations. What do you think?

While I'm not a vegetarian, I don't eat much meat either so I'm always on the hunt for yummy veggie recipes that use healthy protein alternatives like tofu and Quinoa. I suspect there are other people like me out there, so I decided I had to share this yummy recipe that I found through SELF Magazine: Spicy Asian Eggplant with Tofu and Red Pepper. Check it out! I had it for dinner tonight.

I'm a habitual recipe-modifier, so of course I made some changes, name adding more vegetables -- including zucchini and green onions. And all the produce I used was picked up this past weekend at my local farmers market, so it was all really fresh. And I served it with a side of Quinoa.

What's your favourite veggie recipe?

A tofu-producing company in San Francisco, Quong Hop & Co., has stated that it is recalling quite a few of its tofu products, many of which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne disease that can affect kids, the elderly and others with weak immune systems.

At this time, no illnesses have been connected with the tofu products from the company, but the recall stands in place as a cautionary measure regardless.

The recall affects these Quong Hop & Co. products: the 30-ounce Soy Deli nigari tofu, the 12-ounce Soy Deli water packed tofu and the 16-ounce Quong Hop water packed tofu -- all with a date of September 23, 2007. Also, the recall was expanded after first being announced to include the 30-ounce Soy Deli nigari tofu coded Oct, 17, 2007, and the 12-ounce Soy Deli water packed tofu coded Oct. 9, 2007.

Protein is an important part your diet, but protein can also be the most unhealthy part of your diet, particularly if your main protein sources include bacon double cheeseburgers. Mark's Daily Apple has put together this list of bad and good protein choices:

• Instead of hamburger meat, choose grass-fed beef
• Instead of frozen chicken, choose organic chicken
• Instead of farmed salmon, choose wild salmon
• Instead of fish sticks, choose tuna
• Instead of regular eggs, choose organic DHA-enhanced eggs
• Instead of regular yogurt, choose organic or Greek yogurt
• Instead of tofu, choose Tempeh
• Instead of regular beans, choose high-protein legumes and quinoa
  
• Instead of peanuts and peanut butter, choose almonds and almond butter

What do you think about these choices? I agree with most of them, but I still think that tofu, beans and natural peanut butter can be a good addition to your diet.

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of Tofu, a Japanese soybean curd. It's a low-fat protein alternative, and guess what? It's not just for vegetarians. I for one eat it all the time.

But unless you've been cooking with tofu for a while, you might be at a loss for what to do with it. Here are some suggestions from Glee Magazine:

• Firm tofu is mostly used in stirfrys. I also use it ground beef substitute in recipes like pasta sauce, and when I'm craving fried chicken, I'll sometimes bread it with some spices and fry it. It's delicious!
• Soft tofu is good in soups and in dips
  
• Silken tofu has a custard-like texture and is a great dairy-free dessert alternative
• Baked Tofu is marinated with a variety of flavours and is great in sandwiches.
  

The thing to remember with Tofu is that it's very versatile -- it doesn't have much flavour so it it easily picks up other flavours.

How do you cook your tofu?

The Japanese seem to go in extremes when it comes to weight -- they're either very slender or they're a Sumo wrestler. It seems like you rarely see a 'mildly chubby' person from Japan. So what's their secret (for the skinny, not the sumo)? According to this article it's probably these 5 things:

• In Japan more people walk or ride their bikes to get around, and few drive. Natural, built-in exercise.
• The Japanese eat more fish than any other culture. Sushi, of course, but also many other types of cooked fish and seafood.
• Tofu is a staple of most Japanese diets and it's been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.
  
• People eat slower in Japan. Partially it's the culture, and partially it's the chopsticks, but it serves the purpose of giving the brain time to realize the stomach is full before they overeat.
• People in Japan generally eat more fresh vegetables, and less canned and frozen ones. They also eat more vegetables overall than Americans (and other cultures).

Via Fitsugar

If you're a vegetarian, following a low-carb eating plan can seem daunting. After all, if you can't eat meat and you can't eat carbs, that pretty much leaves veggies and meat-substitutes like veggie dogs and burgers. eDiets has a few suggestions for the vegetarian low-carb dieter:

• Add nuts to a salad
• Home made guacamole is low in carbs and high in fibre
• Add some parmesan cheese to some steamed broccoli for a healthy and yummy snack
• Enjoy soy nuts as an on-the-go snack
• Stuff an artichoke with some cheese for a gourmet meal
• Add tofu to a fruit smoothie for a high-protein breakfast
• Fresh fruit is an indulgence, but a worthy one. Pair it with some plain yogurt.

One of my favourite veggie snacks is celery with some natural peanut butter. What about you?

Summer is a fantastic time for throwing backyard parties and hosting casual lunches with friends. If you're tired of doing the same old burgers and steaks on the grill this year and want to make something tasty as well as nutritious, take a look at this page that offers a bunch of tasty-looking recipes. The one that caught my eye, about half way down the page, is the recipe for salmon, tofu and broccoli patties.

The incredibly healthy ingredients alone make it worth giving it a go. Tofu is chock full of protein, vitamin B and iron, while salmon is low in saturated fat but high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. The fish also contains lots of protein and not much cholesterol. Broccoli meanwhile is like a Super Food, providing calcium, potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin C and the antioxidant beta-carotene.

The best part is that each serving contains only 158 calories and 6 grams of fat (including only a single gram of saturated fat). In addition, you'll be consuming 23 grams of protein and 5grams of fiber. Sounds pretty great to me.

If you like meat chunks (beef especially) in those main or side dishes, but don't like the possible calories and fat they leave behind, try tofu cubes instead!

Tofu sounds gross to many people, but it's really not. The curd of soybeans has been used for a long (long) time as an addition to many types of dishes, and it's a great substitute for small beef chunks in dishes from all types of cuisines.

So, buy yourself a package or tofu, cut it into small rectangles or cubes, and use the next time as a meat substitute. Once you get used to the texture, you may just realize that you like it. My advice: give it a shot and see what you think.

Recently, I asked my Naturopathic doctor how I could get more protein in my diet, since I don't eat much meat and have problems digesting tofu and soy. He suggested I try Miso, which despite being made of soybeans is something that will be easier for my body to digest. I've had Miso soup many times, but wasn't aware that I could eat and cook with just plain old Miso. Apparently, it can be used in a number of dishes -- not just soup. It can be a base for stir-frys, in gravy, in desserts ... the list goes on and on. There are even Miso cookbooks.

Miso has a great reputation as a health food and has been attributed to lowering cancer rates, promoting healthy aging, reducing cholesterol levels and much more.

I'm interested to know if you have any great Miso recipes.