How many calories does tofu substitute reduce a meal?

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samorcutt58
samorcutt58 Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Can anyone help me answer the question how many calories does tofu substituted in a meal (lets say for chicken) reduce the total calories? I know it depends on the portion size, and how the food is prepared (fried, baked, etc), but I'm just looking for a ballpark to help.

I'm thinking about 100 calories per serving, but could be way off.

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  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    100g of fresh firm tofu will give you:

    76 cal, 2g carbs, 4g fat, 9g protein, 1g fibre

    100g of grilled chicken breast will give you:

    170 cals, 0g carbs, 2g fat, 38g protein, 1g fibre

    So you're about right to say there's around a 100cal difference. However, note how little protein you will be getting from the tofu compared to the chicken. Unless you're vegetarian, if you really need to save the cals you'd be better off having half the amount of chicken, as you'd still get twice as much protein.
  • samorcutt58
    samorcutt58 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks for your reply. I'm just looking for other ways to reduce calories when eating out. The chicken in the dishes are usually dry anyway.
  • KMiYong
    KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
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    I don't think it substitutes much, because you will need more tofu to get sufficient nutrients than chicken or any other type of meat.
    note that tofu is high on estrogen, something some people aren't aware of, so don't enjoy it too much.
    I would say it's better if you just eat the meat instead, but whatever works for you.

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