If you’ve been to the Philippines, you’ve probably heard of the taho vendor shouting “tahoooooo” as he comes almost exactly at the same time every morning.
I love taho, and I’m happy that my kids are now learning to like it, too. Taho is a pinoy snack (but more like an emergency breakfast for many) made of fresh soft or silken tofu, arnibal (sweeter and flavoring), and sago or tapioca pearls.
Taho
Photo by Joshua Salva
HEALTH BENEFITS OF TAHO / TOFU
1. Reducing the risk of getting breast cancer. Tofu is an excellent food from a nutritional and health perspective. It is thought to provide the same sort of protection against cancer and heart disease as soya beans.
2. Helps prevent Heart Disease. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of soy peptides found in fermented soy food like tofu can help protect the blood vessels from oxidative and inflammatory damage. More about this here.
3. Lowers Cholesterol. Soya protein (from which tofu is derived) is believed to help lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) which also helps in preventing obesity. See more: Kitchen Hopping
4. Prevention of type 2 diabetes. High levels of total soy intake (approximately 200 grams per day) have also been associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes . Soy foods have been shown to lessen insulin resistance by increasing the synthesis of insulin receptors. Read more at Whfoods.
5. Reduces menopausal side effects. During the menopause, the body’s natural production of oestrogen stops and symptoms may arise. As phytoestrogens act as a weak oestrogen, they may help relieve symptoms by boosting levels slightly, reducing hot flushes in some women.
6. Helps your gastrointestinal tract. There is some evidence, mostly in animal studies, that soyasaponins can lessen the rate of lipid peroxidation in blood vessels, lessen absorption of cholesterol from the GI tract, and increase excretion of fecal bile acids.
NUTRIENTS FROM TOFU/TAHO.
Tofu is a good source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous. In addition, tofu is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1. Symtomfind.com lists some nutrients we can get from tofu.
WARNING:
Soya can lower LDL and the risk of some cancers can also do some harm if eaten in excess. Read more at Tofu/Soya. Since tofu and all soya products contain large amounts of oxalate, individuals with a history of oxalate containing kidney stones should avoid over consuming soya products. Women who have or have had oestrogen-sensitive breast tumours should restrict their soya intake to no more than four servings per week.
My son and I really loved Taho, every morning we always buy Taho.
Yay!!! Another good reasons to enjoy taho! Thank you for sharing, 🙂
I love having taho in the morning. Naalala ko tuloy yung strawberry taho sa baguio. Yummy and Healthy.
I’ve been afraid of buying Taho for fear of the fattening effects of arnibal, all my “assumption” of course. I’m glad I read this. Turns out I need to eat more of it than I thought.
Remove the arnibal. My son just likes the tofu and a little arnibal.
My siblings and I all grew up having one small cup of taho every morning. 🙂
We still wait for the taho vendor every morning. The taho vendor we buy from is the same guy from 25 years ago and he doesn’t even scream the word “taho anymore” but calls us by name! 😀
i miss the days when we can just step out of the house to get taho off street vendors. missing the old days.
Yes taho is super healthy! But like what you said, we limit our consumption of any soya-rich product because it’s too rich in oestrogen.
Taho is my all-time favorite snack! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
oh we love taho! this is very informative! thanks for sharing 🙂
I love taho. I missed it now that my daughter is on a school break.
xoxo
MrsMartinez
I love taho because it’s delicious. It’s nice that there are health benefits too!
I love Taho plus its health benefits. Yummy!!!!
I missed eating this. This is my favorite morning breakfast. hehehe. Though I’m quite curious, is this safe for pregnant? I suddenly crave for this. Thanks for sharing♥
I’m not sure, but I think it’s okay. You better check if it’s okay. =)
I love taho! A cup of taho is enough to keep me energized the whole morning!
It’s unfortunate that my son is not allowed to eat any food with soya in it. He is G6PD positive kasi (result of his newborn screening). But I love Taho!
Sad i cant share it with my 2 sons . They have g6pd….
I eat Tofu, but I have to find out about Taho. Thank you for sharing.
nakakatulong tayo sa mahihirap na magtataho tuwing bumibili tayo nyan and at the same time nakakatulong tayo sa health natin, kaya ugaliin natin ang pagtangkilik sa ating produktong pinoy ang TAHO…
I love Taho. But ngayon ko lang nalaman yung exact na mga benefits…
ang alam ko lang dati basta masarap 🙂
May suki ako sa labas ng office namin.
Langka flavor pa yung arnibal nya…
at pag suki ka na nya, lalagyan pa mismo ng langka strips.
Almost every morning nakakaltasan ako ng 20 pesos.
Thanks for this post Ms Gilian.
ilove taho its good for the health and tasty..
taho is one of my favorite snack .. Taho everyday
i love TAHO .. and now im eating yummy 🙂
May 5 pesos, 10 pesos, at 20 pesos. How much ang dapat bilhin para sa tamang amount of taho consumption everyday? Thank you for your answer.
Moderation is the key. It also depends. I think one is enough. 20 pes max. If you are diabetic, then better have the syrup removed or lessened.
Tingala jud ko aning taho, na curious jud ko nganu daghan mamalit dri sa manila. Sa probenxia wala mani. Sa pagadian. Mao ng ga research ko og unsa jud benepisyo ani. Nya wala my lami tam is man kaayu. Maka lessen daw sa type 2 diabetes.
without the syrup. =)
ilang gramo po ba dapat ma consume na taho ng isang tao araw araw?
Moderation is the key. I personally find 2 cups max for a day. We have to remember that arnibal comes with the soft tofu and that may be too sweet for us. Too much tofu can also affect our body in different ways. Here’s a great article to read about that: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/9309586
Meanwhile, since manong taho only comes in the morning, a cup or two shall suffice that taho craving. 😁