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Sneak it In: Tofu

The blank canvas of the kitchen, tofu is versatile and nutritious. Here, five chefs (and parents) whip up dishes that take this ingredient from mild to magnificent.

By Melissa Clark

Click below for kid-friendly tofu recipesTofu Rigatoni Casserole
Tofu-and-Meat Loaf
Maple-Glazed Tofu with Spaghetti Squash
Strawberry-Soy Milk Shake

Recipe Index: Our complete list of meals and snacks you and your kids will love

If only bean curd were as appealing to kids as plain rice or mashed potatoes, the inevitable white-food phase might be a little easier on parents. But while this pearly soy product can't solve every dietary impasse, its light, adaptable flavor—equally suited to sweet and savory dishes—makes it a terrific stand-in for meat and dairy in most kids' meals. Made from curdled soy milk, tofu has a high protein content and contains isoflavones, natural plant hormones that recent studies show may help prevent cancer and heart disease, particularly when consumed early in life. Here, five professional chefs offer up their tofu secrets for appeasing petite eaters: Tim and Liza Goodell of Red Pearl Kitchen, in Huntington Beach, California, update a comfort-food favorite, folding tofu into a pasta casserole; Chris Yeo of Sino Restaurant and Lounge, in San Jose, California, offers an Asian take on a wholesome tofu-and-meat loaf; Brian Pekarcik of Arterra, in San Diego, tops roasted squash with playful tofu cutouts; and Takashi Yagihashi of Chicago's Sushi and Noodles whips up soy-strawberry smoothies. Those mashed potatoes may get some healthy competition after all.

Next Page: Tim and Liza Goodell's Tofu Rigatoni Casserole