Blog

Sweet and Sour Tofu

We are all busy women here. Working women, working moms, stay at home moms, single moms. We are on the go. Taking care of our families as well as taking care of ourselves. The food aspect of taking care of ourselves is sometimes difficult. Food prep, a gazillion steps to make one recipe, I get overwhelmed just reading those recipes let alone actually cooking it. So this week I wanted to bring you a family meal that is delicious and will give you leftovers for lunches afterwards. 

This recipe uses packaged already shredded veggies, a bottled sauce and precooked rice. The only chopping you will need to do is green onions (though some stores do carry precut green onions) and cutting the tofu into cubes. It is that easy. 

Now if you love to cook and chopping veggies is the way you calm down after a long day at work- have at it! If you do not want to use tofu- you could use a lean protein of your choice. You could also add in other veggies if you like. Broccoli and snap peas would be nice. Water chestnuts, bean sprouts would also be good. 

Sweet and sour sauce: I have a favorite recipe from Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam that is in her first book. But it is just another step that I don’t have time for. So I look for a sweet and sour sauce that doesn’t have any high fructose corn syrup. Locally, for me that is Kikkoman’s Sweet and Sour sauce. If you eat meat as your protein of choice- check out Nom Nom Paleo. Even if you don’t eat meat- get it from the library, she has a lot of great healthy sauce recipes. 

I prefer the super firm tofu from Trader Joe’s. You do not have to press the water out. It has a great, meaty texture. Just slice and cube. For rice you have several options. You could cook the rice yourself, you could get precooked frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s or you could get the organic brown rice from Walmart that is already cooked and you just have to microwave to heat up.

This makes a large amount! It fed 4 of us for dinner with 5 servings leftover for lunches during the week. 

Let’s get cooking! 

Ingredients:

2 blocks of super firm high protein tofu (Trader Joe’s)
1 10 ounce bag of shredded cabbage
1 10 ounce bag of shredded cabbage mix (purple and green cabbage with carrot shreds)
1/2 – 3/4 cup of chopped green onions (I love green onions so I always add the 3/4 cup)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 bottles Kikkoman sweet and sour sauce
1tsp to 1 tbsp chili paste (we love spicy so we add at least 1 tbsp but if you are not into spicy go for the 1 tsp)
cold pressed olive oil

Cooked brown rice

I use an electric skillet for this- as it holds more of the veggies. Heat up to medium high heat and add in a tbsp of olive oil. Add in the tofu and sprinkle with the nutritional yeast. Cook until golden brown. Add in the garlic and green onions, stir to incorporate. Add in the cabbage. Stir until the cabbage is all mixed in with the tofu and other ingredients. When the cabbage has wilted down some add in the sauce (I mix the sauce with the chili paste first so that I can taste to see if it is spicy enough). Once the sauce is heated up it is done. Serve over brown rice. 

This makes great leftovers. I try to have it in the refrigerator all the time as the boys will eat it for lunch or a snack. 

Recipe by Raw Chef Debra Garner
To learn more about the raw food/plant based diet and Debra’s services please visit her website. She offers a 6 week raw vegan/plant based coaching program as well as ready made raw vegan creations.

Recent Blogs

7 Day Reset

We’ve incorporated inspiration and motivation to help you rock all 7 days. In the next 7 days you will make shifts in your mind and body that will boost your metabolism, improve sleep and increase energy.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

This is a self paced reset, so you can start when you are ready but we recommend to continue with the reset each day once you begin to see the maximum results.

All it takes is 7 DAYS. What are you waiting for?

Kaia Tri is a ten-week triathlon training program with workouts three times a week, which is an optional extra during our spring and summer CORE sessions. We swim, bike, and run, with some cross-training classes too. By being able to set a personal pace, our triathlon training program is suited to beginners tackling their first race and intermediate athletes looking to improve their finish time.

Our mock triathlons run several times to familiarize women with the course route. We finish the season with a Triathlon Training Camp which includes paddle boarding and power workouts. The next day is our exhilarating and fun Triathlon race day for all Kaia Tri women to enjoy working out in a beautiful location. Friends are welcome too!

SANDBAG

Kaia Sandbag combines traditional fitness with unconventional training methods. With sandbags, the weight shifts and moves in an unpredictable fashion. This piece of equipment is integrated into our conditioning & strength building workouts to simultaneously develop strength, power, endurance, mobility, and balance – with an additional emphasis on developing overall core strength and stability.

New to sandbag training? No problem! Beginners are always welcome.

TRX SUSPENSION 

TRX® Suspension Training® body-weight exercise simultaneously develops strength, power, endurance, mobility, durability, balance, flexibility, and core stability. Whether you’re younger or older, out of shape or a pro athlete, injured or at the top of your game, TRX Suspension Training meets you where you are and takes you where you want to go. TRX Suspension Training leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises that can be instantly scaled for any user to reach any fitness or training goal. The easily-scalable nature of TRX Suspension Training makes it a practical solution wherever you are on the fitness continuum.

Need a little extra boost to keep your body guessing? Our TRX/Cardio class is an excellent complement to any Kaia FIT session. TRX workouts, which can be used by anyone at any level, builds true functional strength and improves flexibility, balance and core stability all at once. Mixed with cardio, the classes give every member the perfect balance of challenge and success.

*TRX classes not available in all areas. Please contact us your local studio.

CROSS-TRAINING

Our trademark Kaia Cross-Training™ classes are a unique mix of cardio, functional movement, and both weighted and non-weighted exercises.

Cross-Training benefits:

Each day brings a new workout. We have an elite group of advanced coaches who infuse each workout with their own flair and focus, meaning you’re never going to repeat a workout, avoid burn-out, and fitness plateaus.

Keeping the body guessing is key to sculpting lean muscle mass. We also have a 3-part modification foundation: Balance (non-impact); Strength (mid-impact) and Kaia (high impact). Each exercise has its own progression so that everyone can feel successful.

As a part of our program, we also offer nutritional guidance to help you make healthy food choices and keep your fitness on track.

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

BARRE

Our barre-based class is a unique combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga, Pilates and Kaia. Using the barre as a prop to balance, you’ll complete a series of isometric holds combined with high reps of small range movements to elongate and tone your major muscle groups.

In addition to the barre, classes incorporate pilates balls, yoga blocks, and/or resistance bands for increased endurance, challenge and focus. Following each set of holds, you’ll rest and recovery with a short series of stretches and poses to increase flexibility prior to advancing.
Kaia Barre is a low-impact class that perfectly complements our program offerings. Meet us at the barre and try your first class for free!

Participating locations may vary. See the schedule page for more details.

DANCE 

Our dance fitness class is rooted in traditional dance. We use those foundational moves and offer a class that is easy enough for beginners yet challenging enough for the more seasoned dancer. The simplicity of the routines allows you to keep moving with ease. Although this is a workout, it feels more like a dance party with your girlfriends.

RUNNING 

Improve your speed, skill, endurance, stamina, and strength with our Kaia running program. The program works on developing running skills that can increase speed, endurance, and overall fitness. The program is designed for you to run at your pace and and help you see improvements every step of the way.

The Kaia training is a simple, progressive program designed for women of all ages and all fitness levels. Whether you are a walker, jogger, or runner, you will be able to join this program and move at your own pace. Research has shown that even 20 to 30 minutes of running (two to three times per week) is enough to help you lose or maintain weight and improve many other important health markers, i.e. your cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin response.

Don’t be intimidated by the Kaia Run program name, each class will have walkers, joggers and runners. Keep in mind that the first mile is the hardest mile you will ever run. Once you get off the starting block, things only get easier. All you have to do is be patient and disciplined in your training, and that is where Kaia

POWER YOGA

Kaia Yoga combines mind and body with a power yoga and core-strengthening weekly workout with Pilates-style techniques. We focus on balance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness through stretching, strength training and dynamic movement to improve overall fitness levels.

By creating long, lean muscles, Yoga promotes improved coordination, greater flexibility and a fuller range of motion, with a strong body that’s less prone to injury. Yoga keeps the mind centered and reduces stress through positive thoughts and a sense of mindfulness, which also inspires mental strength and confidence.

Yin Yoga, or restorative yoga, is a quiet contemplative practice. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, and the deep fascia networks of the body. Poses are held for 1 minute or more and transitions between poses are gentle and slow. This class is an excellent compliment to our other classes, provides dedicated stretching, and is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

6-WEEK BRIK BOOTCAMP

Our BRIK Bootcamp sessions are offered three times a year and are designed to help you reach your health and fitness potential, and you’re welcome to start anytime!

Our BRIK Bootcamps are six weeks long and feature classes daily.* This programming fits in seamlessly with our regularly scheduled classes, and it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register for BRIK Bootcamp HERE (included for Platinum & Gold Memberships)
  2. Book your classes through our branded app and Show Up
  3. Let our expert coaches do the rest!

These sessions offer great results in weight and body fat loss and an increase in strength and cardiovascular endurance. Our nutritional support will boost energy, help you de-bloat, increase sleep quality, and enhance your overall glow.

BRIK Bootcamp includes:

In between BRIK Bootcamp, we offer a variety of classes to meet you at your level! We also have nutrition and fitness challenges, in addition to fun opportunities to spice up your routine. What are you waiting for? Join us today!

CYCLE

Cardio based, calorie torching workout with certified spin instructors. It’s a party on a bike!

Try a Week Free

WHAT IS KAIA FIT?