The Protein Myth in Vegan Diet + Lentil patties

"Where do you get your protein from?", is one of the most common questions I get when I tell someone I've gone vegan. Beans, peas, greens, nuts, seeds, lentils - plants! There is certainly no lack of protein in a plant-based diet, yet the protein myth persists. The rise of the high-protein diets (paleo, being the latest), has probably contributed to this myth and vegan diet is considered merely wishy washy in comparison. This presumption of vegan diet lacking protein (or anything else, for that matter) could not be further from the truth.

Take these lentil patties, for example. They contain 150 grams quinoa, which has 13.8g protein per 100g, and 200 grams lentils, which have 24g protein per 100g. Both quinoa and lentils are thus a great source of protein for vegans and non-vegans! My non-vegan fiancé loves these patties and served with a fresh salad and/or some grainy bread, they certainly make a satisfying meal.

If you are interested in reading more about protein in a plant-based (and non-plant-based) diet, I recommend you to read "The China Study", by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II. Colleen Patric-Goudreau also has an informative podcast titled "The Protein Myth and Vegetarianism",which I highly recommend you to listen.

Lentil patties

200g red lentils

1 carrot, chopped into tiny cubes

1 celery stick, chopped into tiny cubes

1/2 brown onion, finely chopped

2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of good quality salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 litre water

1 heaped tablespoon unhulled tahini

150g rolled quinoa

virgin coconut oil

1. Combine the lentils, carrot, celery, onion, garlic and spices in a saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are fully tender and the mixture has cooked down.

2. Add tahini and rolled quinoa into the mixture and let simmer for a further 5 or so minutes. You should now have a very thick, sticky mixture. 

3. Let the mixture to cool down. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Oil your hands with some virgin coconut oil and shape the lentil mixture into small patties. Place the patties on to the baking tray and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 170C.

5. Bake the patties for 25-35 minutes or until they feel firm to touch. Make sure to turn them around half way through cooking. Serve with a salad and/or with some bread.

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Update: Thank you for all your feedback! Since many of you have asked about calcium, I'll be doing a post on the calcium myth in a vegan diet next!

Vegan Inspiration - Soba Salad

It is never too late to change a habit. A habit is a habit is a habit - correct? The 21-Day Vegan Challenge has certainly proven me that if you break that habit (be it anything at all) and give yourself time to adapt (21-30 days), you will succeed. "I could never give up cheese", I used to say. "I only really eat a little bit of dairy", was my other excuse. Now, after over two dairy-free months, I feel no need or urge to eat dairy and I think this feeling is even stronger after finally opening my eyes to all that goes on in the dairy industry (not to mention the egg industry!). I strongly believe that certain things only happen when the time is right. Be it career, dietary or lifestyle, the change will happen when you are ready for it. Being vegan finally feels right for me, and like so many other vegetarians, the transformation into a vegan feels natural.

If I can single out one person that has greatly inspired me throughout this transformation, I would have to give the credit to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Her tireless work to promote animal rights, veganism and compassionate living is truly inspirational and I am so thankful for all the work that she does to educate, motivate and encourage people, not to mention all the wonderful work that she does for the animals too, of course.

This recipe is inspired by Colleen and I think this salad is a great example how nourishing and delicious vegan food can be. I do encourage you to invest in 100% soba (buckwheat) noodles, since they have superior taste and texture to those with only a small amount of buckwheat flour in them. I am not a fan of wheat noodles, but these I am more than happy devour. Enjoy!

 Soba Salad

(Recipe inspired by Colleen)

1 packet 100% soba noodles

2 carrots, julienned

1 scallion/green shallot, finely sliced

1 small red capsicum, finely sliced

3-4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons sesame oil (cold pressed, this isn't as strong tasting!)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon tamari or Bragg's all purpose seasoning

pinch of chilli flakes

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Combine the noodles, carrots, green shallot, capsicum and sesame seeds in a bowl. Toss to mix.

3. Combine the sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, tamari and chilli in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the dressing into the noodles and toss to mix.

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I am planning to do more posts on vegan foods and vegan living in the near future, but in the mean while, please take a moment to browse through Colleen's website and especially her podcasts and videos.

21-Day Sugar-Free Vegan Challenge - Week 2

It's the second week of my sugar-free vegan challenge! How are you guys going? Have you tried any vegan meals yet? 

There is certainly no shortage of vibrant, nourishing vegan meals for lunches and dinners, but coming up with ideas for breakfast may seem more troublesome. I made this vegan baked rhubarb oatmeal last weekend and I was immediately hooked! I love finding a new dish to add into my breakfast repertoire! Stay tuned, however, as I've got yet another new and tasty vegan breakfast recipe to share with you later this week!

Until then, enjoy and please remember to share your feedback, ask questions and send comments! 

I'd love to hear from you!

WEEK 2

Day 8. 

Breakfast: Green Smoothie

Lunch: Raw Green Soup with quinoa flat bread

Dinner: Pearl barley salad with roasted pumpkin (for a sugar-free version, leave out the caramelised balsamic and the quince paste)

Day 9. 

Breakfast: Tofu scramble

Lunch: Roasted capsicum soup with Finnish scones (for a vegan version, make sure to check that the bread used to thicken the soup is also vegan!)

Dinner: Kale rolls with chickpea and quinoa stuffing

Day 10. 

Breakfast: Baked rhubarb oatmeal

Lunch: Rosolli

Dinner: Black bean salad

Day 11. 

Breakfast: Sugar-free granola

Lunch: Black rice and purple carrot salad (for a sugar-free version, leave out the pomegranate seeds. You can use normal carrots as well.)

Dinner: Grilled vegetable salad with mung bean balls and tahini

Day 12. 

Breakfast: Raw carrot soup

Lunch: Spiced chickpeas with spinach with fresh salad (for a sugar-free version, leave out the pomegranate molasses)

Dinner: Marinated tofu with seasonal veggies (for a sugar-free version, leave out the maple syrup)

Day 13. 

Breakfast: Green Smoothie

Lunch: Toasted buckwheat and beetroot salad

Dinner: Black-eyed pea stir fry

Day 14. 

Breakfast: Sugar-free granola

Lunch: Red lentil and sweet potato soup

Dinner: Black rice and shiitake salad 

In addition, every day, eat fresh salads (with avocado, flaxseed oil, sunflower seeds) and nuts (raw, soaked or activated). 

Snack ideas: Sugar-free power balls, rosemary roasted almonds, activated spiced nuts, vegan dips (with vegan crackers or raw veggies)

Plant milk recipes: brown rice milk, quinoa milk, oat milk, almond (or any other nut) milk, soy milk 

Please note that I am not a qualified nutritionist and all the recipes are my personal suggestions only.

 
Shopping List

In addition to last week's shopping list

Vegetables and Fruit: rhubarb, cherry tomatoes, kale, baby spinach, pumpkin, fresh shiitake mushrooms

Grains: Non-glutinous black rice (available at health food stores)

On conscious, mindful eating + A recipe for Power Balls!

In my New Year’s post I talked about the changes I had made during the previous year - quitting sugar and dairy and returning to vegetarianism.  All these choices were pushed by a strong will for a healthier life and a growing awareness of my surroundings.  I have always been very conscientious, so it feels like a natural, ethical decision to not eat meat and instead eat foods that I feel provide me with the best nourishment and lead me towards a better health and wellbeing.

Conscious eating is more than just making the right ethical choices. It is about getting in tune with your body, knowing what it needs and what it can’t tolerate and how it reacts to the foods you are consuming. Practising this kind of awareness takes time and patience and I cannot claim to have mastered it fully myself. Experimenting with dietary changes, like the ones I mentioned above, can give you a better understanding of what it is that your body acquires.  

Along with the right ethical and nutritional choices, conscious eating is also about appreciating the food and fully embracing all meals. Caroline Dupont, the author of ‘Enlightened Eating’, recommends practising conscious eating by avoiding all distractions at meal time, appreciating the food with all your senses (the smell, the colours, the taste and texture) and making eating a complete experience.  

In today's busy world, it is easy to see why this is so hard to put in practise. A lot of people eat most of their meals on the run – grabbing breakfast on their way to work, eating lunch at their desks and finishing the day with a meal in front of the tv or a computer. Convenience conjoined with multitasking is everything and people have lost part of their intuition when it comes to consuming food. That intuition, amongst other things, should tell you when you're hungry and what foods you should eat/avoid for optimum health. If eating is always secondary and distractions are present, it is impossible to follow that intuition.

My journey to conscious eating begins when I buy the produce. There is nothing I love more than going to my local farmers' markets every week to pick up fresh ingredients to cook with. Chatting to the growers who picked their produce for the market just the previous night gives me a real connection to the food and a much deeper appreciation for it. I cannot claim to be perfect, however, as just like many others, I sometimes do eat meals in front of my laptop, working and typing away. I have made a conscious effort, however, to be more aware and make conscious eating a habitual choice. These are the first steps towards a more mindful eating.

Tips on how to get started

1. Be aware of the origins of your food. Shop at farmers' markets, if you can. Select products that have less food miles. 
2. If you do eat meat (or other animal products), make sure you know the source and be sure the animals have been treated and killed as humanely as possible. 
3. Eat more raw foods and choose a variety of colours, flavours, textures and shapes – this will accentuate the whole eating experience.  
4. Experiment with different dietary changes. Try a week without gluten and dairy and see if you feel different. Try eating more vegetables and less fruit, try cutting out all sugar. Note down the feelings you experience during the experiment.
5. Make meal times a priority – no tv, no computer, no magazines or books. Set the table (even if you’re eating alone), light up a candle and savour the meal.

With these thoughts, I’ll switch off my laptop, pour myself a cup of tea and savour one or two of these delicious, gooey, spiced sweet potato and cacao power balls. Enjoy!

Power Balls

(makes 10)

450g cooked and mashed sweet potato

2 heaped tablespoons almond butter (made with 1/2 cup raw almonds, recipe here)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 teaspoons pure, raw cacao powder (unsweetened)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground licorice

virgin coconut oil, for rolling

unsweetened desiccated coconut, for rolling (optional)

1. Combine the sweet potato, almond butter and chia seeds in a bowl.

2. Mix together the cacao and the spices and stir into the mixture. You should have a gooey, sticky mixture. Rub your hands lightly with coconut oil and roll the dough into about 10 balls. 

3. Chill the balls in the fridge (20-30 minutes), then roll the balls in desiccated coconut before serving. These will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.