While it has long been appreciated for its versatility in Asia, tofu has, historically, had a rough ride in the West. In 2006, chef Daniel Patterson summed up the general attitude perfectly when he wrote for The New York Times: “To my American mind, tofu meant dull, bland hippie food.”
At the time, he said he was pleasantly surprised by tofu’s “cousin” yuba, which is the skin that forms on top of boiled soy milk. But maybe he should have given tofu itself a little more praise. Twenty years on, this soy-based, minimally processed plant-based protein is being increasingly accepted for its nutrition and versatility in the West, too. And according to a new paper from a Cambridge scientist, tofu came out as the best overall protein source in a rating combining health, accessibility, and environmental factors.
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Chris Macdonald, PhD, a lab director at the University of Cambridge’s Lucy Cavendish College, is a behavioral scientist and founder of the Better Protein Institute, which aims to help “accelerate the transition” to better protein sources. He has also received Cambridge University’s Excellence Award for his work in sustainable food consumption.
In a new paper, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Macdonald introduced the Better Protein Institute (BPI) Score. For 20 different plant-based and animal-based foods, Macdonald determined a Planet Score, which evaluates greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, land use, and freshwater use, and a People Score, which looks at sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein completeness, affordability, and availability at grocery stores.
When these two scores were combined, tofu came out on top, while cheddar cheese landed in last place. In fact, the top four proteins—tofu, chia seeds, beans, and quinoa—were all plant-based, while the bottom four—mozzarella, lamb, beef, and cheddar—were all animal-based.
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Looking at protein with a multidimensional approach
The BPI Score is still limited. Macdonald only assessed affordability using Aldi UK’s website, for example, and it doesn’t take into account antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic-disease risks, or ethics. However, Macdonald acknowledges in the new paper that including ethical considerations would likely widen the gap between animal- and plant-based proteins.
It would be challenging to award animal products significant points for ethics, given animal agriculture’s general reliance on intensive, cramped factory farming models. As Macdonald acknowledges, giving farmed animals more space might improve their welfare, but doing so would require more land, potentially increasing pressure on wildlife and biodiversity.
“There is an inherent lose-lose trade off: either more wild animals or more farmed animals will suffer,” Macdonald notes. “With this inconvenient truth in mind, it will be difficult to create a gradated measurement for such ethical considerations. In reality, the most accurate and fair method may require a blanket deduction for animal agriculture.”
However, with the new BPI Score, Macdonald is encouraging shoppers to look at protein with a more multidimensional approach. The West is protein-obsessed right now, but often, we look at the quality of protein through one metric—like completeness or accessibility, for example—instead of looking at the bigger picture.
“Against deliberate corporate obfuscation and marketing myths, the goal of a holistic score is not to create a new label, but to foster a new literacy—one that empowers us to see the reality of the systems we are funding,” he says. “Ultimately, beyond the spreadsheets and scores, lies a fundamental reckoning: our protein choice is a referendum on the compassion we are willing to show to animals, to the planet, and to future generations.”
Following is the complete BPI ranking list …
- Tofu
- Chia seeds
- Beans
- Quinoa
- Sunflower seeds
- Lentils
- Chicken breast
- Tuna
- Peanuts
- Chickpeas
- Walnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Pork chops
- Cod
- Beef steak
- Lamb chops
- Mozzarella
- Cheddar
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
