Tips for getting more protein?

[kjay]

GLC, the protein is a blend of "organic hemp protein, yellow pea protein, organic brown rice protein, and whole flax seed."

Generally I'm one who likes whey protein but being that this is an all-plant-based formula, there's no whey. There's even a dairy-free probiotic blend of L. Acidophilus and B. Bifidum. :-)

[OakLeaf]

Yum, that sounds great! I'll see if I can get my local natural foods store to order some in.


Edit: nevermind I just saw the price

[cylegoddess]

Im a vegetarian who is allergic to soy,nuts, egg whites, most beans and grain so I get protein from ;
spirulina( tastes yuck to me so I take tablets but partner loves the taste)
whey protein drinks
broccoli
cheese

You need to be spare with animal proteins, as they are ACIDIC( as are soy, sugars, meats, dairy and alcohol). This can leach your body of calcium, as your blood becomes acid and takes it from you, to make up. A good tablespoon of apple cider vinegar , in warm water in mornings is good for this!

I started taking more calcium once I reintroduced dairy into diet. I know it sound s odd, as we are told dairy is a good source of calcium from day one, but Ive done extensive study's on this, over the years.
Ill try to find the book it came from!

[Drtgirl]

I am a diehard potato chip fan, and yesterday my coworker challenged me to eat some dry roasted edamame (soybeans?). After a few samples I'm hooked...I even went out bought a small bag today at the grocery store. 14 grams of protein per serving and a ton of fiber.

[cylegoddess]

I love those!! But I found out that eating them 24 -7 made me a little fat!( deep fried isnt a good constant snack!)

I eat quinoa, as its a non grain( it a berry) ,Im allergic to grain. Its a specific taste, nutty. I like it flaked in cookies, or for porridge. I also eat it whole, in boiled form,for winter porridge.

[cylegoddess]

whoops! I meant, broad beans! They are tasty too. Just dont eat raw soybeans, as they have nastys in them, that need tp be cooked out.

[Crankin]

No matter how many times I have tried, whenever I try to make a recipe with quinoa, it comes out terrible. The stuff just doesn't cook, it feels hard and kind of tasteless. am following all of the instructions.
What am I doing wrong?

[michelem]

Crankin,

Are you rinsing the quinoa first? Unless your package says it's pre-rinsed, you MUST do so. There is some kind of toxin on the outside of the grain that makes it taste bitter, and I wouldn't be surprised if that might be the problem with it staying gritty.

Anyway, I do one part quinoa to two parts water (or vegetable or chicken stock -- I like the organic low-sodium stuff that comes in cartons at TJ's). Bring it to a boil and then simmer until ALL the liquid is absorbed. I do stir occassionally so it doesn't stick to the sides of the pot. For flavor, add whatever you like -- lemon, pepper, garlic, herbs . . .

[spindizzy]

I, like kjay, use Vega. The taste does take getting used to. I find it is better mixed with cold, cold water. I prefer the chocolate. There is a new flavour out..Vanilla Chai, sweet but a nice flavour change.

[OakLeaf]

Do you really find that it's worth $5.00 a serving?

[spindizzy]

I usually only do 1/2 serving. And I use it only for when I am in the dilemma of needing to eat something, and I am scheduled for a hard workout and know I won't be eating a meal for awhile after (just can't eat post hard workouts).

I've been reading this book, "The China Study" and the links this researcher has made between animal protein and disease is quite startling so perhaps I will be drinking more Vega....Will save my comments for another thread.

[cylegoddess]

I rinse mine too or its awful . I find flakes are easier to cook, but are better as cereal/The whole grains need a good rinse( flakes dont do well with this!) and best use two parts water, simmering. If the grains arent transparent before water gets low, add a little more. Just takes practice.

I also eat lots of pea soup( great after ride in winter), green or yellow peas. I soak them overnight and rinse them Usually one half bag of peas to a big pot.
I boil it until peas dissolve into fine grains. Then I add a little salt, corinader and cumin,turmeric to taste( I add heaps but it gets spicy!)
Good reheated, for five days.

[OakLeaf]

Coincidentally, DH just added some quinoa to the last batch of pea soup he made. It was pretty good!

I think some brands of quinoa sold in the US are pre-rinsed. Eden brand (my favorite brand for staples) is not rinsed. It wouldn't be "tasteless" if it wasn't rinsed though, it would be very bitter.

I's not my favorite thing in general (too sweet IMO, with a flavor that doesn't really blend with a lot of things, unlike the sweetness of rice), but it's pretty good in bean salads; a vinaigrette dressing offsets the sweetness. In the pea soup, the flavor pretty much disappeared, and it just left a little bit of a crunch.

[bluebug32]

Do you know if there's a faster way to make quinoa? Is it possible to make it in the microwave?

[OakLeaf]

Everything you always wanted to know about protein, from the World Health Organization (over 200 pages). http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf

There's a flaked quinoa hot cereal available that ought to be pretty quick cooking. Microwaving grains doesn't decrease cooking times, because water has to penetrate the dried seeds.

Really, the 20-minute stovetop cooking time for quinoa is less than what it takes to prepare the rest of a meal - just start the quinoa before you start chopping veggies, the same as you would for rice or any other grain. But Lorna Sass (pretty much my favorite cookbook author) has several pressure cooker recipes with a 12-minute total cooking time.