Since being a vegetarian, tofu has literally become a part of me. I cook with it, I eat it, I even eagerly look forward to trying out new brands and new varieties. One of the brands of tofu makers that we’ve come to enjoy is House Tofu, a division of House Foods: http://www.house-foods.com/ and they make a wide assortment of tofu products to choose from. House Foods can be found pretty much everywhere. You can find them at natural grocery stores and at regular supermarkets. And they carry such a great assortment of products made with soy that you’ve probably tried a few of their products already. House Foods makes varieties of soy products such as organic and regular tofu (in soft, medium, firm, cubed, grilled, and seasoned), Tofu Shirataki which is made into noodles from yam and tofu, So-Yah! which is Shirataki noodles with sauces, traditional shirataki made with just yam flour, Konnyaku which is yam cake, and Age which is fried tofu (yummy!). All of their tofu products are made with natural ingredients and soybeans that have not been genetically modified.
House Foods humbly began in Japan many years ago and when a need and desire for domestic tofu arrised in the US, House Foods opened their first facility in 1981. With the tradition of making their own tofu from selecting the finest non-genetically modified soybeans grown in the US, to grinding them to filtering them to packaging them, all of House Foods soy products are made in their facilities under strict guidelines. Most tofu companies cannot and does not have the ability to make their own tofu products from scratch and it’s good to know that House Foods control all of their processes. They are also very environmentally conscious in that they use solar energy to power their facilities and they implement environmental policies to reduce waste and pollution.
What I’ve come to enjoy most about House Food’s products is the pure taste of their tofu products. I’ve been a soy fan for many years and I can pretty much taste the difference between quality soy products and those made from conventional brands. House Foods tofu tastes like soy or soybeans for that matter. It may sound strange, but if you’ve eaten a lot of soy in your life, then you can probably taste the difference too. And since House Foods makes such a wonderful assortmenet of products to choose from, you won’t get easily bored with just tofu. But to me, tofu isn’t boring anyway because you can do so many things with tofu. You can grill them, you can stir-fry them, you can put them in soups, you can make them into smoothies, you can even enjoy them straight out of the box by itself (although a little soysauce and sesame oil wouldn’t hurt). But in the case of House Foods, they’ve made it super convenient for tofu lovers and tofu beginners. With their cubed tofu and grilled and seasoned tofu, enjoying tofu has become a lot easier for most people. What you do with their tofu is completely up to you, but you can also find great recipes on their website to help you along: http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/recipes.aspx. Tofu is so versatile that you’ll probably find many great uses for it. And since soy is such a nutritional powerhouse, eating lots of tofu won’t hurt either.
So why is soy such an important food for good health? According to The Soy Foods Association of North America: http://www.soyfoods.org/, soy contains many beneficial factors in maintaining and achieving a healthy lifestyle. Soy contains isoflavones which is a plant phytoestrogen that helps to lower the risks of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Soy contains no or low saturated fat, is high in protein, and has been proven to improve heart health as well. Soy is also one of the best alternatives to meat and vegans and vegetarians rely heavily on soy as a major part of their protein and iron intake. Since iron is found mostly in animal meats, soy would be a great way of adding some much needed iron in a vegetarian’s diet. Soy is also great for those on a gluten-free diet since tofu naturally contains no wheat or gluten, but it’s always safe to check a company’s logo to make sure it’s gluten-free.
As a vegetarian for many years, I’ve come to greatly appreciate the benefits and taste of tofu and its affiliates. Tofu is so versatile that it’s evident in the products that House Foods makes. With their Tofu Shirataki, you can use it to replace regular pasta noodles to make pasta with your favorite sauces or even as a cold noodle dish that’s really popular in Asian cuisine. Their So-Yah! is also a great alternative to regular pasta and sauce since So-Yah! comes as a sauce and noodle deal. So-Yah! currently has flavors such as Creamy Coconut Curry, Red Vindaloo Curry, Hearty Marinara, and Sesame Ginger. My favorite and my son’s as well is their Hearty Marinara as their marinara sauce is sweet and smooth and taste really close to traditional pasta and marinara sauce. But we particularly enjoy House Tofu’s tofu in either silken or firm because with the silken texture, they are great as desserts. You can also replace cream cheese with their silken tofu if you’re avoiding dairy and with their firm tofu, you can make great stir-frys with that.
House Foods was interested in sending me some of their most popular tofu products to try and review and I was especially surprised when I received such a delicious assortment! The products they wanted me to try were their Organic Tofu in Firm, Grilled, and Cubed. Their Tofu Shirataki in Spaghetti and Angel Hair Shape and their So-Yah! in Creamy Coconut Curry, Hearty Marinara, and Sesame Ginger. Since eating tofu and soy is such an important part of my diet, I also introduced soy and tofu to my son at an early age. Now he enjoys tofu on a regular basis and I’m always trying to find new recipes using tofu and soy products. I know a lot of kids who also enjoys tofu since tofu has no after taste and it’s easy to use in any recipe. And with House Foods tofu and soy products, you’re likely to find something that both you and your kids will come to enjoy. You can also visit their Facebook page for great promotions, coupons, and helpful info about tofu and ways of cooking with it: http://www.facebook.com/housefoodsamerica.
Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.
Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.
Happymomblogger 