I’ve recently invited tofu back to my table and it has everything to do with cracking the code on this addictive, sweet-salty-savory Crispy Broiled Tofu that I’m making on the regular – for my athletes, my toddler…and me.
It’s a ridiculously simple recipe, more like an ingredient hack, that is hyper-well times for summer; a season when we want to be eating more plant proteins to thrive.
Most omnivorous athletes eat protein like it’s January all year long — heavy, dense, animal-forward, slow to digest. In summer, that’s a liability.
Here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough: digestion is fire. Literally. Ayurveda calls it agni — the metabolic intelligence that breaks down everything you eat and determines how much of it actually becomes fuel, tissue, and energy versus how much becomes sludge.
And like any fire, agni responds to its environment. In winter, it burns hot and hungry. It can handle the heavy stuff — slow-cooked meats, dense fats, rich stews. That heat is a feature.
In summer, agni quiets down. Not because something is wrong, but because your body is smart. When the external environment is already generating heat, your system doesn’t need to produce as much internally. The trade-off is that your digestive bandwidth narrows. You have less fire available to break down complex, dense foods — and if you keep eating like it’s February, you’ll feel it. That sluggish, heavy, vaguely-too-full feeling after a summer meal isn’t in your head. It’s your agni telling you it’s working overtime.
Let’s be clear: animal proteins are genuinely valuable for active bodies, and I’m not here to argue otherwise. They’re complete proteins with highly bioavailable amino acid profiles, meaning your body can access and use them efficiently. They carry nutrients that are difficult to obtain in meaningful amounts from plants alone — heme iron, B12, zinc, creatine, carnosine. And there’s something else that doesn’t get said enough in wellness spaces: animal proteins are grounding. In Ayurvedic terms, they’re heavy, stable, and building — qualities that are deeply supportive when you’re training hard, recovering from injury, or navigating a high-output season. For athletes doing serious work, they belong in the picture.
The question isn’t animal versus plant. It’s about reading your season, your output, and your digestion — and making choices that work with all three.
Summer is carbohydrate season. Your body, running warmer and moving more, is tuned toward quick-burning fuel — fruits, grains, vegetables. Your digestive fire is oriented around processing those efficiently. Plant proteins slot into that framework elegantly. They’re lighter, they digest faster, they produce less metabolic heat in the process, and they don’t ask your system to work against its seasonal grain.
Tofu and tempeh are your workhorses — both soy-based, but tempeh is fermented, which makes it easier to digest and gives it a slightly higher protein content with more fiber. Hemp seeds are a quiet powerhouse: complete protein, rich in omega-3s, and so easy to throw on anything that there’s almost no excuse not to. Legumes — lentils, chickpeas, black beans — bring protein alongside complex carbohydrates and fiber, which makes them genuinely satisfying without being heavy. None of these are trying to be steak. They’re doing something different, and in summer, different is exactly right.
Plant proteins aren’t a replacement for animal proteins. They’re a seasonal feature of a nourished diet — one that lets your digestion stay efficient, your energy stay available for output, and your body stay cool enough to actually perform.
This Crispy Broiled Tofu
Is a weekday workhorse. A treat for all. It goes so many ways, does so many things, and even addicts hard-core meat eaters which is saying a LOT when we’re speaking about an otherwise flavorless lump of texturefree protein! Ha!
Here are a few ways we love it:
In a bowl. Layer it over rice or quinoa with whatever vegetables you have, a handful of fresh herbs, and a drizzle of something bright — rice vinegar, lime juice, a little sesame oil. Fast, complete, satisfying.
In tacos. Warm tortillas, crispy tofu, shredded cabbage, avocado, pickled onion, cilantro. Add a little hot sauce and you have a summer taco situation that holds its own against anything.
As a scramble. Crumble it while it’s still warm and toss with sautéed vegetables — zucchini, peppers, spinach, whatever’s in the fridge. Season aggressively. It reads like a savory scramble and works for any meal of the day.
Straight off the pan. I do this every time and I’m not apologizing for it.
If you’ve been reaching for animal proteins by default this summer, I’m not telling you to stop. I’m telling you to try adding this in and notice how you feel in the two hours after eating. Your digestion will tell you everything you need to know.
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