Welcome back to RainbowPlantLife.
Today I'm going to continue with my series on my favorite vegan protein sources.
If you haven't seen Part I yet, I will link to it at the end of this video.
Before we get started, I just want to point out that I got my hair cut.
Alright, sorry about that.
Back to the video.
Let's start off by talking about carbs because I love carbs.
And I know that carbs might be a bit of a dirty word for some of you, but these carbs are
actually really healthy for you.
They're all ancient grains.
And ancient grains are grains and pseudo-grains that have changed very little over the last
several thousand years, in contrast to more common refined grains like corn, wheat and
rice, which have changed a lot through selective breeding.
And ancient grains tend to be a lot healthier.
They have more fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Let's start with a grain that everybody knows: Quinoa.
And I make a big batch of quinoa whenever I'm doing meal prep and then I eat it throughout
the week, whether it's with a salad or a stir-fry.
And I want to mention a couple things that can help make it taste better.
One, make sure you soak your quinoa under cold water.
That will help take away some of the bitterness.
Two, I find that most recipes online or in cookbooks call for a 2:1 liquid to quinoa
ratio.
And that tends to produce a quinoa that's a little too soggy, so I usually reduce the
water, maybe use a cup and a half of water for 1 cup of quinoa instead of 2 cups.
The next ancient grain is amaranth.
Amaranth, like quinoa, is a seed so it's also gluten-free.
It's really high in protein and fiber, and it gets slightly sweet and really creamy when
you cook it, so it's perfect to use in porridge.
And I like to add some coconut yogurt and some stewed berries, and it makes such a hearty
and comforting breakfast in the morning.
Next up, we have buckwheat, which is another gluten-free seed.
And buckwheat comes raw in the form of buckwheat groats or it comes toasted in the form of
kasha, which you'll find in cereals.
I like to use groats along with oats to make a porridge, and I also add them to smoothies
because it adds some fiber and nutrients and helps me stay full.
For raw buckwheat groats, I recommend you soak them for at least an hour or overnight.
That helps soften the seed and quickens cooking time.
Now for a grain that you are probably very familiar with: oats.
There are different kinds of oats.
Quick cooking oats have the least amount of nutrients.
Rolled oats and steel cut oats have the same amount of fiber and protein, but steel cut
oats are less processed, so they take a lot longer for your body to digest, which means
they're less likely to elevate your blood sugar.
And of course I use oats in oatmeals and porridges and muesli, but I also like to add about a
half cup of oats to my smoothies.
That adds a lot of bulk and fiber and helps me stay full.
And now let's talk about a few wheat-based ancient grains.
Because they're wheat-based, they do contain gluten, but they're full of fiber and protein,
so if you can tolerate gluten, I recommend adding these to your diet.
First up we have wheatberries.
Wheatberries are the whole, complete wheat grain before it's undergone any processing
or any refinement.
I really like to pair cooked wheatberries with a balsamic vinaigrette and then some
caramelized onions, toasted walnuts, basil and dried apricots.
It's a really flavorful, delicious combination.
The next grain we have is freak-eh?
Freekah?
Freaky?
Free-kah?
I'm not 100% sure how to pronounce this grain, but the important thing is that it's delicious
and it's packed with protein.
And freekeh, or freaky, is wheat that's been harvested when it's young and still green
and then it's roasted over an open fire, so it has a slightly earthy and smoky taste.
And the last grain on my list is farro, which is hulled wheat.
It has this amazing chewy texture and nutty taste.
My favorite way to prepare farro is to cook it and then add in a light citrus vinaigrette
- maybe some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, maple syrup.
Or a grapefruit vinaigrette.
And then I add in some dried cherries or dried cranberries, some chopped toasted hazelnuts,
cannellini beans or white navy beans, and some leafy greens like spinach.
I toss it all together and it makes a really delicious meal for the summertime or when
you don't have much time to cook.
The next category in my vegan protein list are nuts and seeds.
Most of the time I buy raw nuts because they're healthier than roasted nuts and there's no
chance that the nuts have been roasted in some sort of oil.
I also buy unsalted nuts because salted nuts are so easy to binge on.
If you've ever been to a cocktail bar, you know how easy it is to eat handfuls and handfuls
of salted nuts without even thinking about it.
The first nut on my list are almonds.
Almonds are definitely the nut I eat the most.
I snack on them all the time.
I keep them at work in my desk drawer.
I keep them in my purse, even if I'm going out to a party.
I don't like to be caught off guard and find myself hangry, so almonds make a perfect snack
when you're on the go.
And they're so beneficial for your health, your hair, your skin, so definitely add some
more almonds to your diet.
The next nut on my list are cashews.
Cashews are a vegan's best friend.
They're the secret behind creamy vegan cheesecakes, vegan aiolis, vegan cheeses and sauces.
And just make sure you buy raw cashews and you soak them for about 8 hours or overnight.
And then you'll have all kinds of creamy deliciousness in your life.
If almonds are the nut I eat the most and cashews are the nut I cook with the most,
then walnuts are the nut I wish I ate the most because they're so healthy for you.
In addition to having protein, they're packed with omega-3 fatty acids.
And if you find that walnuts are a little too bitter for you, just toast them at home
in the oven or in a skillet and it'll make them taste a little less bitter.
Next up we have pistachios.
Pistachios are one of my favorite snacks.They're great for mindful snacking.
If you find yourself grazing on snacks all the time and not really paying attention to
what you eat, try snacking on pistachios when you're hungry because you have to put a lot
of work into opening each pistachio so you're more cognizant of what you're eating.
The last nut on my list are peanuts, which are not actually a nut.They're a legume, but
everybody calls them a nut so I'm going to refer as a nut.
And they are both the highest protein nut and the cheapest nut, so make sure you add
some peanuts and peanut butter to your life.
Now that we've talked about nuts, let's move on to seeds.
And I'll start with a seed that I eat that I eat almost everyday: hemp seeds.
And hemp seeds are really nutritious, they're full of protein and they have some omega-3
fatty acids as well.
And they have a really nice, chewy, kind of nutty texture and taste.
And I sprinkle hemp seeds on avocado toast or smoothies or oatmeal or salads.
The next seed we have are pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas.
And pumpkin seeds, in addition to having protein, are rich in fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc and
omega-3 fatty acids.
I like to sprinkle pumpkin seeds on salads and soups, but my favorite way is to use it
in pesto instead of pine nuts because pine nuts are super expensive.
But also, it's really fun to say "pepita pesto."
The next seed we have are sunflower seeds.
And honestly, I used to hate sunflower seeds because they just reminded me of people spitting.
But, these days, I buy shelled sunflower seeds so there's no spitting involved.
And like pumpkin seeds, I use them as a garnish in salads or pastas or grain bowls.
The next seed we have are chia seeds.
Chia seeds aren't that high in protein but they are a complete protein, which means they
have all of the essential amino acids.
In addition to using chia seeds for chia pudding,I really like to make chia jam.
Chia seeds act as a natural thickener so you don't need to add any extra ingredients to
your jam besides your berries or whatever fruit, your sweetener such as maple syrup,
some lemon juice, chia seeds and that's it.
I also like to add chia seeds to my smoothies in the morning because they add fiber and
bulk and they help keep things regular down there if you know what I mean: they help you
poop.
The next item on my vegan protein list is bread.
And I know that bread seems like a strange choice for a list about a protein, but I'm
talking about sprouted grain bread, which is chock-full of fiber, protein and vitamins
that protect your heart.
My favorite sprouted bread is from the brand Ezekiel.
If you look at the nutrition label on the back, there's 4 grams of protein in one slice.
But because I've never eaten just one slice of bread at once, I will say there are 8 grams
of protein, which is the same amount of protein you would get in a cup of cooked quinoa.
I have sprouted grain bread almost every day.
It's the easiest breakfast I can make.
I just slather on some nut butter and some berries or apples and chia seeds or hemp seeds
and it's fiber-rich, it's protein-rich and it's really delicious.
The last category on my vegan protein list are vegetables.
Some of the vegetables with the highest amount of protein are peas, collard greens, spinach,
artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, corn, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.
Collard greens and spinach, for instance, have 5 grams of protein in 1 cup cooked, which
is not that much food.
Green peas are also really high in protein.
There's about 8 grams of protein in 1 cup.
And I like to buy frozen bagged green peas and leave them in the fridge to defrost.
That way they're ready to add to whatever I'm eating, whether it's a quinoa dish, a
pasta or a salad.
And they add this nice green color and a really chewy bite.
Next up we have asparagus.
And in just 8 little asparagus spears, you'll get 3 grams of protein.
And my favorite way to cook asparagus is to either roast it or grill it with some olive
oil, salt and pepper until it's browned and caramelized.
Next up we have broccoli.
There are 4 grams of protein in 1 cup of cooked broccoli.
And I know that 4 grams of protein isn't a lot of protein, but neither is 50 calories,
the amount of calories in 1 cup of cooked broccoli.
Next up, we have potatoes, and there are 4.5 grams of protein in 1 medium sized potato.
And I know that potatoes get a bad rap, but I have a science secret for you.
When you cook potatoes, don't eat them right away.
Instead, refrigerate them for about 8 hours.
And the refrigeration cooling process converts the starch in potatoes into resistant starch.
And resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that passes through your small intestine without
being digested, which means it feeds your healthy gut bacteria, it burns fat more easily
and helps you stay full.
The last item on my vegan protein list are sweet potatoes.
I saved the very best for last.
I will roast or bake a big batch on the weekend and then eat them throughout the week, whether
it's with breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Well, that does it for my series on my favorite vegan protein sources.
I hope you found this series helpful and informative, and if you did, please hit that thumbs up
button so I know you actually liked it and I will see you guys next week with a brand
new video.