3 Best Tofu Recipes for Kids
Tofu is super healthy for kids! But you might be stumped on how to prepare it so your kids will really love it. Here are three tofu recipes for kids that will win over your little critics, plus tips on selecting and prepping tofu.
Tofu may be the most famous vegetarian protein food, but it isn’t just for vegetarians. Well-prepared tofu tastes great in stir-fries, sandwiches, grain bowls, and even smoothies. And it dishes out a generous amount of protein and minerals that benefit growing kids.
You can try just about any tofu recipe with your kids, but we’ve compiled our favorite three kid-friendly tofu recipes here, because tried-and-true options = more chance of a thumbs up from your picky eaters!
Tofu can be a bit mystifying if you’re not used to preparing and eating it. So before we get to the recipe, we talk a little about tofu’s nutrition, plus how to buy and prep your tofu. If you’re thinking, just show me the recipes, feel free to skip ahead to the bottom of the post.
Why Tofu is Healthy for Kids
There’s a lot of sensation around soy in the world of food and health. Some shy away from this legume and the products made from it, because they’ve heard that it’s harmful to eat it or serve to kids.
But the reality of soy and health is basically all positive. In fact, the most current research about soy products finds that this plant protein really does provide health benefits like improved cholesterol, blood pressure, and even improved bone and brain health.
In addition to being protein-packed, tofu contains nutrients that are important for growing bodies, like calcium, selenium, and iron.
The key to choosing healthy soy products is to look for ones that are minimally-processed, like soy milk, edamame beans, and–yep–tofu! So pick up a carton and get cooking.
Tofu Primer: Types and Uses
You’ll find two main types of tofu at most grocery stores, and they’re actually completely different! So make sure you’re clear on which one you need before you buy:
1) Firm or Extra Firm Tofu. This type of tofu is the most common kind you’ll find at the store. It usually comes packaged in a tub of water, and a serving contains around 7 grams of protein. Firm or extra firm tofu holds its shape well, so you should choose this type when you’re making baked tofu, tofu nuggets, or a tofu stir-fry.
2.) Silken tofu. This type of tofu is super smooth, lower in protein than firm tofu, and contains a lot of moisture. It won’t hold it’s shape during cooking but it adds a thick and creamy texture to salad dressings, smoothies, and desserts.
Both kinds of tofu are made from whole soybeans, and they both have a similarly mild flavor.
How to Prep Tofu for a Recipe
Silken tofu needs no particular prep; since it’s usually blended, you can simply drain any excess water from the package and add it to your blender.
Firm or extra-firm tofu cooks up best when it’s had 20-30 minutes of pressing before you cook it. Here’s how to do it:
- Drain the water out of the tofu carton, remove the block of tofu, and slice it into about 5 thick slabs.
- Place a clean dish towel on a large dinner plate or a cutting board. Place the slabs of tofu on top of the towel.
- Cover the tofu with a second clean dish towel (or just fold the bottom towel up over the tofu, so there’s an absorbent layer on top.)
- Place a plate or heavy cutting board on top of the tofu, so it’s gently pressing out the liquid.
- Wait 20-30 minutes, then remove the tofu and follow the directions of your recipe.
3 Best Tofu Recipes for Kids
Any tofu recipe you love is one you should share with your kids. Here are the top three recipes we love that our kids love, too.
Kid-Friendly Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block Tofu, extra firm, prepared with nigari
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place a clean, absorbent dish towel on a plate. Drain the tofu, and cut into 2-3 large slabs. Place the slabs on the towel. Drape a second towel on top of the tofu, and place a heavy cutting board on top, to press the remaining liquid out. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. (If you have a convection option on your oven, preheat the convection setting to 375 F.)
- Cut tofu into cubes, and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss lightly.
- Add corn starch, ginger, garlic, and salt to the cubes, and gently toss until coated.
- Spread the cubes evenly on a light-colored cookie sheet, and bake 15 minutes. Turn the cubes, and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the tofu is crispy and golden-brown. Serve immediately with rice, noodles, and/or your favorite stir-fried veggies.
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Triple Berry Tofu Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- 1 cup silken tofu
- 1.5 cups whole milk
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cups ice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
www.superhealthykids.com
Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
Ingredients
- 32 ounce Tofu, firm
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup flour, whole wheat
- 1/2 cup Cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Drain the blocks of tofu, and cut each block into six rectangular slabs.
- Pat the slabs with a towel until they are good and dry, then cut each slab in half twice to make four nuggets per slab.
- Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized mixing bowl, and set aside.
- In a gallon freezer bag, combine the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast.
- In batches, dunk nuggets into olive oil, then add them to the bag and shake until they’re well coated.
- Arrange the nuggets close together on your baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flip, then bake 15 minutes more.
- Serve hot with ketchup, barbecue, or your favorite sauce for dipping.
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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I really like your blog! Very helpful in new ideas for our health conscience family. I just can’t agree that eating much tofu is good for you. I know that everything in moderation is the way to go…but soy is WAY over used in our food anyway. If you are making all of your own foods and not using anything processed…this isn’t a problem. But lets face it…most of America doesn’t…and label reading will tell you that soy in some form or another is in so many things. This especially concerns me for tween and teen girls. Ok…now I sound like a food psycho, but I’m really not…..usually.
Most tofu and soy products are also genetically modified. If you’re are going to add more soy to your diet I strongly suggest organic.
Marcie – we are definitely proponents of whole foods and would hope that our readers are trying to modify their diet more towards that direction. We also believe that certain foods, including soy in moderation are part of a healthy diet. Mat – the soy I recommend in my recipes is organic non-GMO. Thanks for the comments and concern!
Yes please make sure to use only Non GMO tofu. Most of the Nasoya products are coming that way. Also using a tofu press, Like EZ Tofu Press (available on amazon) is ideal for firma nd extra firm tofu. It presses the water out allowing better flavor absorption and texture.
Where do you get that pesto from? I can not find it anywhere????
I buy my pesto from Costco. It is organic and only contains whole food ingredients. Plus I think it is less expensive than making your own!
I’m gonna try these. My daughter is 2 yrs old and not fond of meat. These look like things she might like and getting protein in her at the same time. Thank you for the recipes.
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You have to look at Dr Fuhrman on debunking the anti soy myths everyone! Tofu has meaningful health benefits!
I made the Crispy Tofu Dippers for my extremely picky five year old last night. I thought they were pretty delicious myself, but I was not prepared for how much my son loved them. He had thirds and even asked for them as a snack before bed. Thanks for the addition to the small handful of things my kid will eat!
I like Tofu but can’t make interesting recipes out of it. I am a bad cook I must say. But your recipes are simple so I may try to make them and see if they turn out tasty or not 😀
I made this with high hopes… Followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out disgusting and inedible. First of all after the amount of time stated in recipe had passed, the ‘batter’ was still soft and floury. So i had no choice but to put it back into the oven, it still would not crisp up no matter how long it was in the oven. I eventually sprayed it with some oil to see if it would crisp up,. It did then harden but it was still vile and inedible.
Next time I would recommend whoever does this recipe uses panko breadcrumbs… 🙁
Even my husband thought it was horrible and he eats anything
Hi Vicky, I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you! One possible explanation is that perhaps the initial oil coating was too light, so some of the exposed flour/cornmeal coating couldn’t get crispy. The oil spray was a good idea– bummer that didn’t work. I hope you were still able to salvage your meal!
Hi can you please put the nutritional values on the crispy baked and the smoothie? Thanks!
You can find nutritional information for these recipes on Prepear!
My kids and us usually like tofu a lot but this recipe has NO TASTE (maybe just corn starch in the end) and the texture doesn’t help. Terrible.
The breading on the baked tofu nuggets was delicious. I used vegetable oil instead of olive, and I forgot to set a timer and may have over baked them. They were a bit chewy. I really liked the flavor, but the breading was powdery and flaked off. My 9-yr old was a great helper and loved dipping and breading the nuggets. Next time I’ll try with olive oil and I’ll remember to set my timer!
I followed the recipe exactly and the nuggets came out dry and terribly bready. You had to bite through a layer of what seemed like dry flour to get to the tofu. My kids took one bite and asked for something else.
Thanks, really helpful advice and recipes