Years ago, when I started eating healthier, my older sister remarked that next I would be serving Tofurkey for Thanksgiving. I laughed at the time, thinking how funny it was that my meat, potatoes and no vegetable sister thought eating fruit and salads more would mean I was taking the leap to eating Tofurkey for the holidays. Well here it is a few years later and I find shes not so far off the mark anymore.

It seems the healthier I eat the more I move toward less meat in my diet. I simply crave it less and less. Seems that happens for a lot of people. While some people make an overnight change to vegetarian diets, others grow towards it gradually.

I confess I may never be a complete vegetarian. Somehow the thought of never having another juicy burger or chicken marsala is not possible to me right now. Right now I could see myself being what is often referred to as a near vegetarian. Those are people that eat a mostly vegetarian diet while occasionally still eating meat.

One of my favorite meat replacements has to be tofu. I dont eat it constantly since I think you can overdue it with soy like anything else. Soy is a top allergen along with eggs, nuts, and dairy so I think its wise to be moderate with any food. Especially if you already enjoy soymilk and yogurts, youre getting a good amount of soy in your nutrition.

I have a vegetarian friend who doesnt enjoy tofu. Shes tried it but its jut not for her. Instead shell load up on bean dishes or protein-rich veggies to make up the protein portion of her diet. She used to eat fish on a rare occasion but I believe shes completely vegetarian now.

If you havent tried it, Tofurkey is a great tofu foodie. I found a great selection at my health food store in town and bought a package of sausages to try. I made a pepper and sausage dish that mimicked the meat sausage and pepper dish so well it might have even fooled my dad, who loved his sausage & pepper sub sandwiches.

So if you have never tried tofu but are thinking about healthy eating alternatives, then maybe its something to put on your list. Do what I did and start with something small. Maybe a local salad bar has some tofu you can add to your salad for a taste.

Visit a local grocer or health food supermarket and see if they have Tofurkey. You can pick up a package to make sandwiches ” like a Tofurkey sandwich with salad greens, mustard, and tomato grilled on your indoor electric grill or panini sandwich maker. The taste might surprise you ” and your body will thank you for the healthy choice.