Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl with Greens

Today I was in a lot of pain. My joints were stiff enough that I was moving slower than usual, and I had that heavy, low-grade fatigue where everything feels like more effort than it should. My lupus flare is not quieting down. I decided to try out tofu today! enjoy.

Disorder	Helpful?	Rationale
POTS	Neutral-to-supportive	Rice + protein helps with energy, but this only works for POTS if you salt the tofu and rice intentionally or use a salty sauce.
Lupus	Supportive	Tofu, rice, and cooked greens are generally easy on my body on joint-pain days and don’t feel inflammatory.
Vestibular migraine	Depends	Tofu is usually fine for me, but soy and sesame can be triggers for some people. I skip this if I’m already migraine-adjacent.

Ingredients — makes one bowl

Item	Amount	Notes
Extra-firm tofu	~4 oz	Pressed and cubed
White rice, cooked	¾ cup	Plain
Kale or other greens	1 cup	Fully cooked
Soy sauce or tamari	1–2 tbsp	Adjust to tolerance
Sesame oil	1 tsp	Optional
Olive or neutral oil	1 tbsp	For cooking
Sesame seeds	Optional	Skip if sensitive
Salt	To taste	Still needed even with sauce

Assembly

1. Pan-fry tofu in oil until browned.

2. Add soy sauce (and sesame oil if using) and let it glaze.

3. Add rice and cooked greens to a bowl.

4. Top with tofu and finish with extra salt if needed.

Nutrition snapshot

• Protein ~20–25 g

• Carbohydrates ~45–50 g

• Sodium Variable (higher with sauce + salt)

• Fat  ~18 g

• Prep time 15–20 min seated