Vegan & Veggie Archives - Allie LeFevere

If I had a nickel…no wait…a penny for every time someone asked me how I get protein if I don’t eat animal products, I would build my throne right next to Queen E.

It’s a (clearly not widely known) MYTH that protein only comes from meat, fish, poultry, milk and eggs. I haven’t eaten that stuff in four years and my hair is so thick it puts a lion to shame.

And while I love me my animals, I certainly wouldn’t jeopardize my health if I couldn’t get an adequate source of protein from plants.

Sorry Bessy, but you’d be dinner.

Protein supports and maintains thick and strong hair and nails and is used to make enzymes and (bow-chicka-wow-wa) hormones. It’s one of the three macronutrient needed by the human body (carbs and fats being the other two) and there are a ton of delicious protein sources that don’t involve bloodshed or lactation.

So what are some plant proteins? Legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, algaes and soy (edamame, tofu, tempeh, miso), although I eat soy-based foods minimally.

To take the pain out of the process of having to actually google (gasp!) plant-based protein or legume or algae (yes, people actually eat that). Let’s just walk through my plate, meal-by-meal.

A day in my veg life:

Breakfast: 1 cup of gluten-free oatmeal (6 grams), 1 cup of almond milk (7 grams), 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (6 grams) OR the-best-fricken-oh-my-God-I-want-an-IV-of-this-shit-running-through-my-veins-all-day-smoothie (recipe below).
Lunch: 2 corn tortillas (5 grams), 1 cup seasoned beans (12 grams), salsa, avo, hot sauce or a gigantic salad packed with veggies, sauerkraut, avo and topped with lemon and olive oil.
Dinner: 5 oz tofu (11 grams), 1 cup of quinoa (9 grams) 1 cup broccoli (4 grams) 2 tbsp almonds (4 grams), some sort of fancy seasoning
Snack: 2 tbsp peanut butter (8 grams) with celery.

Total: 68 fabulous grams of protein. Blah. I win.

And if you want to blow your taste buds out of your damn mouth. Try the protein-PACKED smoothie, I devour pretty much daily.

The-best-fricken-oh-my-God-I-want-an-IV-of-this-shit-running-through-my-veins-all-day-smoothie

1 scoop of Raw Protein Powder
1 cup of Almond Milk
1 tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
Handful of fresh spinach and carrots
Whatever supplements or superfoods I’m in the mood for that day (spirulina, chlorella, magnesium powder, maca, all of the above…)

To celebrate “Meatless Monday,” I’m sharing one of my FAVORITE meatless recipes — vegan quinoa loaf. It’s a vegan spin on a family recipe that’s equally as filling, but actually healthy.

One thing that has really transformed my cooking and made my life a LOT easier is a food processor. Investing in a food processor makes it super easy to enjoy a vegetarian or raw diet, since a food processor can break down nuts and beans, which add interesting textures to veg recipes.

Because I’m vegan, I’m conscious of my protein intake (even though I pack in tons with dark leafy greens), so I love finding new ways to incorporate nuts and beans into my cooking.

This recipe does just that — packs protein into a deliciously hearty, healthy comfort food fav.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for greasing the pan
8 ounces of button mushrooms, sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
1 cup (about 1 onion) chopped red onion

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch loaf pan with oil; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.
In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bean mixture, quinoa, peas, parsley, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper.
Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle.
Bake until firm and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Dig in, darlin.

Tag Archives: Vegan & Veggie

Protein Only Comes From Animals!? Psssh. No. A Sample of the Plant Protein I Eat Every Day.

Vegan Quinoa Meatloaf Recipe: My Mom Has Nothin On This Dish.