Tofu and Vegetable Curry; a light and delicious dish that’s perfect for any lunch or dinner. And honestly, this dish can be a nice change from the usual Taco Tuesdays, or meat and potatoes that seems to be a standard in most households. Sometimes, you just got to try something different! Also, I’d like to mention that recently a few people reached out and asked if I could share more veggie and vegan recipes for those that don’t eat meat. Which, of course – I’d love to! So let me put this out there: I love receiving DMs and emails requesting dishes, so please, give me shout if you want me to try something out.

Is this tofu and vegetable curry a healthy dish?

Abso-freakin-lutely! A typical serving of firm tofu is 1/5 of a package (79 grams). Compared with other meats, such a beef, tofu is low in fat – one serving contains 3.3 grams of fat. Also, it’s important to note that tofu is an excellent source of protein, with 7 grams per serving.

What kind of tofu can I use for this recipe?

The best tofu to use for this recipe is firm tofu, however, many people have different opinions when it comes to their preference on tofu. Keep in mind, firm tofu absorbs flavors excellently and holds up well when panfried (superb for a stir-fry), but is also great to crumble! Personally, I think firm tofu gives you the best versatility in the kitchen. If you’d more information on different types of tofu, head here.

What type of vegetables should I use for this recipe?

The sky’s the limit! I mean, I guess it depends on the availability of vegetables, and the season, but this recipe is delicious with the majority of veggies out there. For this recipe I used: Onions, zucchini, eggplant, mushroom and green beans. Other awesome veggies you could use in this dish could be: Carrots, broccoli, and snap peas.

Will substituting meatless meals with tofu and vegetables help our world?

I like to keep politics and religion out of cooking. What the heck does this have to do with a tofu and vegetable curry recipe? Well, when I mentioned earlier about people reaching out asking for more meatless recipes, they also sent over some stats regarding why meatless meals are important on a global standard. Explaining how if everyone participated in them, the impact would be huge in regards to our impeding climate change. Huge in a positive way. I decided to look into some of the stats and information, and discovered an article written for National Geographic titled, “Eating meat has ‘dire’ consequences for the planet, says report”.

The article goes on to explain that in order to be able to “feed a world population of 10 billion people by 2050, factors such as: greenhouse gases, water and crop use, and nitrogen or phosphorous from fertilizers, need to be managed. In doing so, climate-change-inducing gases could be reduced and enough land could be reserved to feed the world’s growing population”. It continues, “Under the report’s conclusions, meat and sugar consumption around the world should drop by 50 percent.”

I know, this is a lot to take in on a recipe you probably just clicked to read, make and eat. But it’s also time we start addressing issues like this, and realize, hey – if we can make a difference, let’s do it! Still a skeptic on climate change, and the reasoning behind subbing in more veggie meals into your diet? Here’s a long, detailed, in-depth journal published this past October, setting similar recommendations for reducing meat and sugar consumption: Nature.

Let me finish by saying this – I’m not pushing an agenda here. I can’t force anyone to give up meat, nor am I asking anyone to do so. All I’m asking is that we all become aware of the consequences mass consumption is having on our planet. There’s certain scientific studies I stumbled on, that honestly, I was really ill-informed on. What I’m getting at is this: Stay informed. Do diligent research. And try to help our world when you can.