Amino acids and Tofu

Squishycoast

Did some searching on the forums and couldn't quite find the answer I was looking for. I was meal prepping for the week like I usually do, except now I'm on a more plant-based diet. When adding certain brands of Tofu, like Trader Joe's for example, not all the amino acids show up. So I was wondering if there was a way to add the amino acids to the brands of Tofu that are missing them to better track, or should I just use an alternate brand that is similar that lists all the amino acids.

Karen_Cronometer

Hi Squishycoast,

Brand name products typically only include the nutrients required by law - this list doesn't include the amino acids.

We recommend using the closest generic alternative to your brand name product from NCCDB - this will have a much more complete nutrient profile.

If you want the nutrition information to match what is shown on your product label, you can edit a copy of the NCCDB food. You can keep the amino acids from NCCDB food and edit the calories and macronutrients, etc. to match your label.

On the website:
Go to the Foods tab
Go to the Search Foods sub-tab
Search for the Food you wish to edit and select it to open it in the Food Editor
Select the Gear Icon in the top right hand corner
Choose Edit a Copy, from there you can make changes to your recipe and then Save Changes
This food will now be in your custom foods list

In the Mobile app:
Open the bottom console (orange +)
Tap Add Food
Search for the food you wish to edit
Tap on the food to open the Edit Serving Dialog
Tap # Listed Nutrients
Tap '...' menu in right hand corner
Choose Edit a Copy
Go through all the steps to Save your food
This food will now be in your custom foods list

To learn more about choosing the best data sources for your needs, have a look at this blog post: https://cronometer.com/blog/6-tips-getting-nutrition-data/

The_Real_Redding

I wouldn’t worry too much about Amino Acids just as long as you’re getting a variety of protein sources and you’re hitting your protein goals (1.6-3.1 g/kg of body weight)

also, you could just supplement with a pea protein which is good to get a little extra protein in your diet.

robartsd

I took a similar approach to what Karen_Cronometer suggested, but I edited a copy of the CRDB database adding values to the nutrition profile from the similar food. In the notes, I indicated where the values came form. For instance, I had a pea protein supplement without amino acid data. I copied the data from another brand.

McFarland

Tofu is high in protein and contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs. It also provides fats, carbs, and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. One 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of tofu offers.