[dropcap style=”font-size:100px; color:#992211;”]T[/dropcap]hat’s what they’re calling it : The Millenial Tofu Surprise.
Or, to translate from the zingy bounce of press-release prose: young people are embracing the relative versatility of tofu as a primary protein source.
Those of us born long before 2000 await with a smirk the moment when they discover tofu’s other surprise – the pungent and irrepressible reek that is the inevitable result of assaulting the digestive system with concentrated, fermented beaniness.
While Tofu is considered a healthy source of protein, that’s not why the Millennials are eating it, according to a new study to be presented at Tops Club Inc.’s annual International Recognition Days convention July 10th in Milwaukee.
Tofu’s new champion recruits are 20-something women who want dishes that are quick, easy to cook and that can help keep them trim. “They basically seem to care less about any health benefits of Tofu,” said lead Cornell researcher Brian Wansink, “They eat it to look good and because it’s quick to cook and it’s filling.”
The study of 502 Millennials comes as a surprise given that most efforts to encourage the adoption of Tofu have focused on nutrition and sustainability – promoting it as a high quality, low cost, sustainable protein source. “Millennials are much more likely to eat Tofu if you simply tell them ‘It cooks like chicken, but doesn’t spoil,’ than if you lecture them about its nutritional value,” said Wansink.
What’s the key take away of this study? Co-author Adam Brumberg says, “If you’re trying to convince a friend or family member to join you in becoming a Tofu lover, don’t belabor its health benefits; instead focus on it being quick and filling and cooking like chicken. In no time they’ll be making Tofu Scramble, Stir Fry and all the other dishes the Tofu lovers in the study listed as big parts of their diets.”
Source: Cornell Food & Brand Lab
Photo: Freedigitalphotos.net/Rakratchada Torsap
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