My Foodie Call

What the heck is tempeh??

Tempeh cut into cubes.

Tempeh is a pretty fantastic protein source. For all. Not just us lone vegetarians.

But what is it? 

Put simply, tempeh is just soybeans cooked down and slightly fermented. Do not let the word fermented scare you. The soybeans are usually combined with other grains such as barley or brown rice for a firm and hearty texture. I like it plain, sliced on a salad, but you can marinate it with barbecue sauce and make some pretty tasty sandwiches as well.

Why tempeh?

• Firm, unlike tofu (for all you tofu haters out there)
• One serving has a whopping 18-20 grams of protein and about 10% of your calcium needs for the day

This is what Trader Joe’s tempeh looks like, but there are many others out there.

How do you eat it?

• cut it, slice, cube, crumble it, marinate it, pan fry it…..

Where do you find tempeh??

• where the tofu, vegetarian meats, dairy free cheeses are at any large grocer. Stop whizzing by that section and take a look!

Try this simple swap: Replace tempeh in place of ground beef in your next spaghetti  meal. Simply crumble, pan fry for a few minutes, and add to your sauce.

Remember: one simple health swap a week can add up to long-term change.