Friday, July 19, 2013

Picky Protein for Healthy Vegans

Protein seems to have become a true buzzword in today's society. "Lean Protein", "Protein Bars", "Protein Drinks", "Whey Protein"...I could go on and on. It seems like the grocery store is filled with labels of packaged food claiming to be packed with protein. What does all this mean in a healthy vegan lifestyle? Can we possibly get enough protein?

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that women ages 19-70+ need 46 grams of protein each day and men ages 19-70+ need 56 grams of protein each day. These numbers are totally do-able on a healthy vegan diet everyday without overdoing it or falling prey to the companies trying to make money off of offering you MORE protein!

Here are my favourite ways to get a little more vegan protein the "unpackaged way"...

Beans and Legumes - put some on your salad, grill a Vegan Black Bean Burger (click for the recipe on Picky Diet!), dip your fav veggies in Hummus, add some Chick Peas to your pasta sauce...

Nuts - sprinkle some Almonds or Walnuts on your morning GF oatmeal, spread Almond Butter on sprouted grain bread or on celery, nibble on a few Pistachios...

Seeds - Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds can be sprinkled on anything from salads to cereal to garnishes on soups, Chia Seeds which are also an awesome source of fibre and great for digestion are good in smoothies and added to almond or coconut yogurt, Flax Seeds are an amazing super food - add a little to your smoothie to or use them as an egg substitute when Vegan Baking by mixing them with warm water, my absolute new fav are Hemp Seeds - they are a complete protein filled with vitamins and amino acids - definitely get these into your Picky Diet today!

Don't forget all the wonderful delicious vegetables you eat also have protein as do GF and standard grains too!

Check out my Picky Diet website for some awesome Vegan Recipes and other tips on living a Healthy Vegan Lifestyle.

Do you have some awesome healthy "unpackaged" Vegan Protein tips? Send me a note to share your ideas!

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