If you are new to plant-based eating, there is a good chance you have never even heard of tempeh! My tips this week will introduce you to this versatile + plant-based food. Get ready to get hooked on tempeh. Protein-packed, easy to prepare, super high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These are just a few reasons to eat tempeh. It gets a thumbs up from me + the MVF family!
Tara’s Tuesday Tips:
Reasons To Eat Tempeh
(and love it!)
What Is Tempeh?
Soybeans! Yep, that’s it. Soybeans. This block of wonderfulness originated in Indonesia and is now widely available in grocery stores in the US (right next to the tofu). The soybeans are fermented and pressed into a dense block. There are other forms of tempeh available that have added ingredients such as flax, barley, or wheat. Similar to tofu, tempeh takes on the flavors of whatever it is seasoned with. Also similar to tofu, it does not have much flavor straight out of the package. In fact, it has somewhat of a bitter flavor. It is best to marinate it or add it into a good sauce. Tempeh is an ideal meat substitute as it can be swapped in for ground beef or strips of chicken.
Why Eat Tempeh
- 21 grams of clean plant-based protein per 4 ounce serving
- low-fat
- gluten free
- dairy-free
- high fiber
- very affordable meat substitute
- no cholesterol
The Debate About Soy
When you eat soy from organic soybeans it is good for you …. VERY good for you! Remember, phytoestrogens are not estrogen and they do not act like estrogen in the human body. Phytoestrogens are isoflavones (a unique phytochemical in soybeans). These isoflavones have lots of amazing health benefits (lowering cancer risk, preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol, helping with menopause symptoms, and strengthening bones to name a few!).
Eating soybeans in the form of edamame, tofu, tempeh, or soy milk is a good thing. Soy products that should be eaten in moderation (if eaten at all) include genetically manufactured soy isoflavone supplements, texturized vegetable proteins, and soy protein isolate. When you are grocery shopping, look for these terms on ingredient labels of protein powders, bars, supplements, and some veggie burgers or ‘fake meat’ products. Also keep in mind that 90% of the soy produced in the US is genetically modified so be sure to use only certified organic and non-GM) tempeh. I exclusively use Lightlife brand organic tempeh.
Tempeh vs. Meat
This study compared meat-based high protein diets with plant-based high protein diets and found that in both groups, there were equal amounts of weight loss and appetite suppression. Yes! This tells us that a plant-based diet can be just as effective as a meat-based diet if you are looking to lose weight!
Tempeh is lower in fat and higher in fiber than its meat counterparts making it a great choice for both vegetarians and meat-eaters! Meatless Monday here we come!
Don’t Worry About The Dark Spots
These are normal!!! It’s not spoiled! Small gray, brown, or black spots are very normal on a block of tempeh. These happen during the fermentation process. This is ‘good mold’ that does not affect the taste and does not indicate that the tempeh is spoiled. All fermented foods are fermented with ‘good mold’. This is what improves the digestibility of these foods. When fermented foods are being prepared, the fermentation process is stopped at the end of preparation, and this ‘good mold’ is deactivated before it gets to us.
Bone Health + Tempeh
As you already may know, taking in a good amount of calcium helps prevent osteoporosis and age-related bone loss. Most people think of dairy products as the ideal source of dietary calcium. Move over milk, make room for tempeh. Recent studies are showing us that the calcium in tempeh is just as well absorbed as the calcium in milk.
Cholesterol + Tempeh
As I have discussed in my prior Tuesday Tips How to Lower Your Cholesterol, soybeans contain isoflavones which have been studied and found to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels. When we look specifically at tempeh, these same studies find that tempeh does a better job with this thanks to its higher amounts of soybeans pressed into the block making it higher in isoflavones.
Fermentation + Prebiotics + Tempeh
This is one of my favorite reasons to eat tempeh. As you may already know about me, I am a HUGE advocate of maintaining gut health for SO MANY reasons! Tempeh fits right in!
Through the fermentation process, the lovely green soybean magically transforms into a high-protein, low-fat block of vegan wonderfulness.
If you are not familiar with prebiotics, time to get familiar!!!!! Prebiotics are a type of fiber that promote the growth of good gut bacteria. YES! To simplify this, we need lots and lots of good gut bacteria for our overall heath, to reduce inflammation, and so many more reasons! One way we get these is by eating a large variety of plants. Another way we accomplish this is by eating fermented foods. Tempeh is a fermented food. Some other fermented foods you might be familiar with include kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, natto, and kimchi.
Boil It!!!!
One of the main reasons people think they do not like tempeh is because it has a slightly bitter taste. Personally, I do not like tempeh in its original form, I always boil it. Your tempeh will not have the bitter taste after you boil it. Boiling also softens it up a touch so that the flavors you add later will absorb better. 10 minutes in a pot of boiling water prior to using it in any recipe, that’s my secret weapon to loving tempeh!
When To Avoid Tempeh
If you have a soy allergy you certainly should not eat tempeh. As with all soybeans, and soy products, if you have any thyroid dysfunction, you should check with your health care provider before eating. If you take thyroid medication, be careful that soybeans are what is known as a goitrogen and can interfere with thyroid function and thyroid medication.
Food For Thought
As you may have gathered by now, there are SO MANY reasons to eat tempeh! Not only is tempeh easy to use in your cooking, it can help with your heart health, bone strength, weight management, and digestion. You can start experimenting with tempeh in your own kitchen by following one of my recipes, or transform one of your favorite meat dishes into a tasty plant-based meal by substituting tempeh for ground beef or chicken.
Ready to Give Tempeh a Try? Start Here!
We LOVE tempeh here in the MVF kitchen. I linked a few healthy + delicious recipes to get you started on experimenting with tempeh. As always, follow my tips in the recipe body for success. You will see that I boil my tempeh prior to including it in anything. I give detailed instructions for tempeh success in each recipe.
- Tempeh Taco Meat
- Easy Vegetarian Tempeh Chili
- How To Air Fry Tempeh
- Vegan Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Air Fryer Buffalo Tempeh
- Sticky Sesame Tempeh Recipe
- Baked Sriracha Tempeh
- Tempeh BLT
- Air Fryer Sriracha Tempeh
- Air Fryer Tempeh Croutons
- Garlic Tempeh and Broccoli
- Tempeh Sloppy Joes
⭐ Feeling inspired to try tempeh? Leave a comment below, I love to hear from you!⭐
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