If you love tofu and you need iron, you may be wondering how much iron in tofu you can actually get into your body.
Well, great news for folks who love this soybean product. Tofu is actually a good source of iron. This is why it is worth adding this food to your diet daily.
And did you know that the amount of tofu you can get depends on the type of tofu? We’ll unload all the juicy details about iron in tofu in this post, so stick around and read until the end.
How Much Iron In Tofu
In a nutshell, a cup of tofu has as much as 2.78 milligrams of iron. This is equivalent to 20 percent of the RDI. Not bad considering it’s not a very big portion, yet packed with a decent amount of this important mineral.
On the other hand, 100 grams of tofu has 1.06 milligrams of iron or 8 percent of the RDI.
It is also interesting to note that the tofu iron content varies depending on the type of tofu and how it’s prepared. For instance, here are surprising stats for you below. These are the top 20 types of tofu and the amount of iron they have.
1. Koyadofu (Dried-Frozen Tofu) – 9.73 milligrams
2. Koyadofu with calcium sulfate – 9.73 milligrams
3. Regular raw tofu with calcium sulfate – 5.36 milligrams
4. Fried tofu – 4.87 milligrams
5. Fried tofu with calcium sulfate added – 4.87 milligrams
6. Hard tofu with nigari – 2.75 milligrams
7. Firm, raw tofu with calcium sulfate – 2.66 milligrams
8. Organic Nasoya firm tofu – 2 milligrams
9. Fermented and salted tofu – 1.98 milligrams
10. Fermented and salted tofu with calcium sulfate – 1.98 milligrams
11. Extra firm tofu with nigari – 1.84 milligrams
12. Organic Nasoya super firm sprouted tofu – 1.70 milligrams
13. Azumaya tofu, extra firm – 1.70 milligrams
14. Premium firm raw tofu (House Foods brand) – 1.69 milligrams
15. Firm tofu with nigari and calcium sulfate – 1.61 milligrams
16. Nasoya firm and lite tofu – 1.60 milligrams
17. Nasoya tofu, extra firm (Vitasoy brand) – 1.60 milligrams
18. Nasoya, “Tofu Plus”, extra firm (Vitasoy brand) – 1.60 milligrams
19. Premium soft tofu, (House Foods brand) – 1.53 milligrams
20. Nasoya “Tofu Plus” Firm (Vitasoy brand) – 1.30 milligrams
The amount of iron listed above is per 100-gram serving of the different types and brands of tofu available in stores. It is good to know how much iron in tofu you are getting from each, which helps you to decide on the brand and type to purchase.
Tofu Preparation And Its Impact On The Iron Content
It is worth noting that the way in which tofu is prepared and processed have an impact on its iron content. For instance, tofu is stored frozen, canned, or in a box. This soybean product can also be prepared fried, grilled, or eaten raw.
If dried frozen, such as in the case of koyadofu, the iron content is higher at 9.73 milligrams per 100-gram serving. On the other hand, raw tofu with calcium sulfate added in the manufacturing process brings the iron content to 5.36 milligrams for the same serving size.
There are also other foods with tofu in them, such as the case with vegan mayonnaise. A 100-gram serving of vegan mayonnaise with tofu in it has only 0.27 milligrams of iron. This is equivalent to 2 percent of the total RDA.
If buying tofu that is not dried-freeze, it is worth preparing this food in a way that will help to preserve as much iron as possible. Eating tofu raw is more ideal, especially tofu that contains calcium sulfate in it. By doing so, you can get 6.65 milligrams in half a cup serving.
An easy way to incorporate raw tofu into your diet is by adding it into your salad. You can toss in some cubed raw tofu to your green salad or to your sauteed vegetables.
If you prefer it cooked, lightly steaming or boiling tofu should give you as much iron content as you can get compared with deep-frying.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that tofu is a nutritious and tasty food. It is quite versatile and easy to add to your dishes.
For vegans, you can make plant-based cheeses, mayonnaise, and other dips by adding tofu to these recipes. These cool ideas give you more ways to eat tofu and enjoy the nutritional benefits that it offers.