Some days, I find myself seriously slacking in protein. People commonly ask what are vegetarian/vegan protein sources, and well, there are actually a lot! In order from most to least (approximately):
– soy as in tofu, tempeh, edamame; sietan
– beans and lentils
– legumes, nuts, seeds
– dark leafy greens
– whole grains
However, some of these sources provide much more carbohydrates or fats (okay, most do), and I feel better when I still get moderate amounts f protein in at each meal. I’m still considering the Whole30, and am trying to ease into it. Before college, I ate a lot cleaner and felt a lot better. I still eat pretty well, but am trying to clean up my snacks. When I go back to school next weekend, I’ll be living in an apartment style dorm, that is basically an apartment (!!) aka with a KITCHEN! (!!!) Can you tell I’m stoked?! Here’s my W30 plan:
– 2-3 weeks doing the W30, starting Sunday or Monday the 24th or 25th. I don’t feel comfortable using meat as my only source of protein. I’ll be following the W30 plan, not the “veg W30”, because I want to see how I feel eating fewer carbs, how I used to; BUT, then again, my only real protein source will be chicken & chicken/turkey broth, and I don’t want to over-do it, so I will be eating a lot of protein rich veggies (greens, broccoli, brussels), so we’ll see how protein rich it actually will be, haha. While I’ll be following the W30 plan in that manner, there are things I wont be so strict on: I wont be creating desserts/sweets with W30 complain ingredients, but I will be making/creating foods so that I’m not eating the same thing over and over again, and so that if I need, I can take food with me. For ex, banana/egg pancakes, chia puddings (keep me REALLY full), and maybe coconut flour muffins or bars. I’m going to try to not snack, but we’ll see with that.
– Then, 3 weeks following a veg W30. I’m going to try and introduce 1 food group at a time to see if I have any “intolerances” or adverse reactions, which is the goal of W30. I know I don’t react adversely to beans/legumes, so that will come first. then I’ll introduce either yogurt or soy, followed by the other. Still, no grains or treats, less fruit/dry fruit.
– I’m blogging about it all here. so lets hope I stick to it!
I’ve been trying out new recipes with chicken, edamame, tofu, and tempeh to see what I can come up with, to have some good recipes to quickly turn to.
Soy is definitely a controversial subject. I was first introduced to edamame when my mom brought home a pack of Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edmamae (from Marshalls or TJ Maxx of World Market…), which boasted “70% less fat and 40% more protein then peanuts”. Winning! According to the package, “25 grams of soy protein a day, as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease” I aim for no more than 25g, (sometimes it crosses this, depending on how much soy milk I’m drinking), from less processed soy milk (TJs of WF unsweetened), organic, sprouted tofu (TJs), organic tempeh (I find mine at Meijer or WF), and organic edamame (Seapoint or TJs). Read more here at my favorite WHFoods.
Onto the recipe!
I wanted to try a new thing. I’ve been eating hummus and bean dips like there’s no tomorrow, so I wanted to make an hummus style dip, and ended up with this delicious spread!
recipe
~Masala Girl
what’s your favorite way to eat edamame? Steamed and salted never dies 