Our Favorite Plant-Based Proteins
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients when first getting into a plant-based diet, is about protein: If I am not eating meat, where will I get it, and will it be enough?
It’s a fair question, right?
Eating plant-based doesn't have to mean being protein-deficient. In fact, it’s a huge misconception that plants-based means low-protein. Yep, veggies, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes – they all have protein.
At Tuesday Foods, we plan each recipe and menu to make sure that you are getting a diet rich in plant-powered protein during our programs.
Here is a list of our favorites:
Quinoa:
A grain like seed, quinoa is a high protein alternative to rice or pasta, served alone or over vegetables and greens. It provides a good base for a veggie burger and is also a fantastic breakfast cereal when served cold with almond or coconut milk and berries.
Lentils:
Lentils are legumes. Delicious, nutritious and super easy to prepare. By adding a half-cup of lentils to your meal, you'll be adding 12 grams of protein. Any lentil will work here: green, brown, or red.
Sprouted Tofu, Tempeh and Edamame
Tofu, tempeh and edamame are all soy products that can help ease the transition from cooking with meat, to cooking with more plants. Tofu and tempeh are complete proteins and are great served in soups and ramen and doubles as a tasty alternative to meat in pasta, or over brown rice and vegetables. We use edamame as a topping for salads, in our Buddah bowls and soups and in our delicious homemade dips and spreads!
Beans (Black, Kidney, Mung, Pinto):
We love beans. Great on a veggie burrito, in chili and soups, on salads or over rice with vegetables, beans of all varieties are a daily staple of a vegan diet. We keep the serving size small (2 Tablespoons - 1/4 cup) in our program as they can be difficult to digest.
Seeds (Hemp, Chia, Sunflower, Pumpkin)
With a perfect ration of omega-6 and omega-3 EFA’s, these seeds are another bioavailable complete protein. A simple and great addition to a multitude of dishes, from breakfast cereal to salads to smoothies to avocado toast.
Plant-Based Protein Powders:
At Tuesday Foods, the search for the perfect protein powder is ongoing. Our favorites are a mixture of different plant-based proteins, such as brown rice, pea, hemp, chia seeds, flax seeds, and quinoa. Combining varieties of protein creates a powder that has all the essential amino acids and plenty of protein to boot. And of course taste, texture and quality of ingredients (organic + non-GMO) is of utmost importance. Our current favorite brand is Kachava