Consumers are increasingly confronted with conflicting information surrounding how much protein they should have and which protein sources are healthiest, most sustainable, and best value for money. Cambridge research has uncovered the truth.

In a paper published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Dr. Chris Macdonald explored the best sources of protein currently available.

To answer the question, Macdonald had to build a new holistic scoring system that combines measures of environmental impact, health, affordability and availability into a single framework.

Applying the scoring system to 20 commonly consumed protein-rich foods, the analysis found a striking pattern: every product in the highest-scoring quintile was plant-based, while every product in the lowest-scoring quintile was animal-based. Tofu ranked first overall, while cheddar cheese ranked last.

The paper argues that many existing food rating systems focus on only one aspect of a product. While useful, these single-dimension labels can obscure important trade-offs and make it difficult to compare foods comprehensively.

TOFU DOMINATION

Link to open access article https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1677796/full

  • theprogman@lemmy.caEnglish
    9·
    3 days ago

    Magic Tofu

    Per pound or 454g of extra-firm tofu:

    • Break the tofu block apart by hands in a bowl, make pieces of 2cm/1’’ large
    • Add 1 table spoon of preferred oil (nut, vegetable oils)
    • Add 1 table spoon of cider vinegar
    • Add 1 table spoon of soy sauce
    • Add 1 table spoon of sugar (best source are honey, agave or maple syrup)
    • (Optional) Add 1-2 table spoons of preferred spicy sauce (I use sambal oelek or thai red curry paste)
    • Mix
    • Add 30 g of nutritional yeast
    • Mix
    • (Optional) Add more nutritional yeast for flavor (another 15 g should do), mix again
    • Put on a baking tray, preferably with a parchment baking sheet to cover it, and spread the tofu apart
    • Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F or 190°C in the oven

    Enjoy on everything! I add it on top of pizzas, in wraps, in a plate with vegetables and rice…