Fish and tofu are both popular foods in daily life. Research has found that eating them together not only provides complementary nutrition but also has certain disease prevention and therapeutic effects.
In terms of nutritional components, fish and tofu each have their own characteristics: Fish is a "dense" nutrient, with a protein content as high as 17.3%, and is also rich in nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, fat, and vitamin D. As a food that is both edible and medicinal, tofu has multiple functions, such as nourishing qi and tonifying deficiency. Moreover, its calcium content is quite high. Research shows that every 100 grams of tofu contains 140-160 milligrams of calcium.
Why eat them together? First, the proteins in both fish and tofu are incomplete. Tofu's protein lacks methionine and lysine, which are abundant in fish; conversely, fish protein has a lower content of phenylalanine, while tofu contains more. Eating them together allows them to complement each other's strengths.
Second, eating fish and tofu together can greatly promote the absorption of calcium from tofu. Although tofu is rich in calcium, it is not easily absorbed by the body when eaten alone. The abundant vitamin D in fish has certain biological activity and can increase the body's calcium absorption rate by more than 20 times. It is beneficial for children prone to rickets and women and the elderly prone to osteoporosis to eat more fish and tofu.
In addition, fish contains more unsaturated fatty acids, and tofu protein contains a large amount of soy isoflavones. Both have the effect of lowering cholesterol, so eating them together is very helpful in the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction. There are many ways to prepare fish with tofu, with fish head tofu soup being a common and convenient method: when cooking, first fry the fish head, then add water and tofu and simmer together. When cooked, the soup is milky white, thick and creamy; the tofu is smooth and tender, and not greasy to eat. For women, crucian carp paired with tofu can also have a beautifying effect; if braised, carp can be chosen.