It's about time that we made a video about protein sources and meals for vegans
Now there is so much
I want to share with you on this topic that I went ahead and split this video up into two different parts and the one
That you're watching right now, which is part one. I want us to explore what some plant-based protein sources are
I want to share with you a tip
I think everyone needs to know when it comes to how to increase the absorption of protein from certain foods
And then we're gonna delve into some high protein meal prep in the next video
We're gonna share some high protein meal ideas using some of the ingredients that we're gonna meal prep in this video
All right, let's get started
We've already created an article on the blog all about protein for vegans
It's super comprehensive
But a really simple read so we'll leave a link for you in the description box below on the website
You can also find a downloadable PDF that lists the high plant-based protein sources
So be sure to grab that as well if you're interested now, let's recap some of the high protein sources
We're going to be using in these videos and first up are the members of the soy family this includes tofu
Tempeh and edamame now if you're interested in learning more about soy because we realize it's a bit of a hot topic
We've written about that on the blog as well. So again, the link is down below next up
We've got beans and lentils will be using chickpeas brown lentils and red lentils and then we're gonna move on to seeds which include pumpkin
And sunflower seeds sesame seeds and tahini which is just sesame seed butter and then we've got some quinoa and soba noodles
Which is made from buckwheat and fun fact here both quinoa and buckwheat are actually seeds even though we tend to classify them as grains
Finally, we've got any and all kinds of nuts and we'll be using pecans and pine nuts
So these are just a few of the high protein items for vegans
But I've got another tip that can help you boost your protein absorption
even more
So now we know protein is high in legumes nuts seeds and certain grains, right, but here's the thing
Protein from many of these plant-based sources are bound to inhibitors, which essentially means we're not absorbing them as well as we could
So how do we improve this by soaking whenever possible?
So, of course we soak our beans overnight before we cook them
But often people don't soak their lentils or quinoa oats or rice because these ones tend to cook quite quickly anyway
But if you want to increase the absorption of protein even more ambition to other minerals
It's highly recommended that you soak these ingredients for at least two hours. If not overnight before preparing them now
I don't always do this with my nuts and seeds because personally I like it when they're a little bit crunchy
But I definitely always do it with any grains or lentils that I'm cooking
So if you want to geek out and learn a little bit more again
We've got an article all about it on the pick up lens blog, you know
The drill link for that is in the description box. Okay now let's get into some meal prep
The exact measurements for all the recipes I'm going to be sharing in these videos can be found on the pickuplines website
So see the links below and remember that you can get a printable pdf of each recipe by visiting the blog posts as well
Each week. I like to batch cook some beans and lentils in quinoa. I usually use the chickpeas to then make hummus
So here we go with recipe number one. We add our chickpeas to a food processor
Add some pre soaked sunflower seeds to increase the protein a bit more
We're gonna add some garlic tahini water olive oil balsamic vinegar some soy sauce
Which I like to use in place of salt because I think it gives more depth of flavor
Some hot sauce ground cumin and paprika powder
Then we add the juice of a lemon and blend it up until it's creamy add it to a Tupperware container
And sprinkle on some more paprika if you'd like hummus is a staple at the pickuplines headquarters
We eat it pretty much every single day either in a sandwich in a wrap on crackers or as a veggie dip next up
Let's make some baked barbecue tempeh. Now tempeh scared me a lot at first until I learned how to work with it
So let's explore that here first. We just slice the tempeh into thin strips and here's an essential step
I think a lot of people miss you want to steam ten pay for about ten minutes which helps it to soften
Removes bitterness and helps it soak up more of the marinade then drain rinse and pat dry
Then we're gonna use some barbecue sauce to generously coat each of the strips before placing it in a container
We want to allow this to marinade overnight because the tempeh is gonna soak up most of that sauce the next day
We'll distribute them on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes
Flip it over and you can add some more sauce at this stage if you'd like then bake again for another 10 minutes
When it's done and cooled you can place the strip's into a container to enjoy throughout the week on
Salads with rice or with noodle bowls like this one here
Which we'll be sharing with you in the next video
Moving on the next meal prep item are these candied coconut and cinnamon pecans to a bowl
We'll add some coconut oil
maple syrup
shredded
coconut and
Cinnamon and then mix it all together before adding the pecans as you can see the prep time for this is no more than five
Minutes once it's coated we're gonna distribute it onto a baking sheet and bake it for ten minutes
Stirring once halfway and when it's cooled, you can distribute them into jars or containers to enjoy as snacks throughout the week
They taste like little caramel bites. I don't know. I've been obsessed with them lately for the final item
We're gonna make this vegan tofu. Chorizo
So we first dice an onion mince some garlic and coarsely chop some mushrooms to a large pot or pan on high heat
We'll add some oil the onions and garlic and some salt and pepper sauteing for about three to five minutes
Then we'll add the mushrooms cooking for another seven minutes or so until the moisture evaporates
Reduce the heat to medium-high and then we'll add two blocks of tofu crumbling it with our hands
We're gonna cook this for anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes until the tofu crisps and browns to your liking
Be sure to continuously stir and scrape the bottom to avoid burning then we're gonna add the spices
oregano paprika powder chili powder ground coriander
cumin and some
Then mix it together allowing it to cook for another couple of minutes
So the spices become fragrant and then at the end we can add the apple cider vinegar as well as some soy sauce mix it
All together and that's it. Add it to a container to enjoy throughout the week
for example
We made these
nourishing taco salad bowls using this chorizo or you could also use it as a meat replacement for your burritos or tacos or you could
Add it to your pasta sauce to make a pasta bolognese this particular recipe. We'll be sharing with you in the next video
So stay tuned
Now the last meal prep tip I have for you to boost the protein of any meal is
to roast any nuts or seeds that you enjoy that you can add as garnish to any of the meals or salads or soups that
You're creating because really any little bit of protein is going to add to your intake
So this week I roasted some sesame seeds and some pine nuts and in the next video
You're gonna see me using some of those in the meals that will be creating together
So that's everything that we've meal prepped for this week all of which are or include high protein plant-based ingredients now
I've already given you some examples in this video on how I use these certain ingredients
But let's explore that a little bit more
Which we're gonna do together by preparing some high protein meals in the next video bento block style
So click right here to watch that. But before you do that head on over to the description box
Make sure that you grab your downloadable PDF of high-protein vegan sources. Thanks a lot for meal prepping with me
I look forward to seeing you in the next video