Non-meat Protein Sources

[siduri]

back in the 60s i think, the book "diet for a small planet" was published, which was one of the first that really tried to scientifically come up with good plant protein sources that could be used by the human body.l My daughter stopped eating meat about 15 years ago, and while she lived at home,a nd when she visits, i have to cook for her,and i got "laurel's Kitchen" whicgh is an even better book from the scientific point of view. The point of these books is that humans can't use the protein from vegetables as they are because they are not the complete molecule strands that we need and we don't have the digestive systems to make them up (like cows, for instance). However, if you eat combinations of semi-proteins from vegetable sources, in the same meal, you will digest fully useable protein.
so
legumes and grains (pasta and fagioli, pasta and ceci (chickpeas), lentils and rice, rice and peas, lentils and bread, or any combination of those - grains being wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc)
grains and seeds (bread with sesame, hummus (chickpeas with sesame paste), falafel (same), etc
grains or legumes with milk or egg (pasta with grated cheese, bread and cheese, polenta with cheese, or basicallyany dish with a small amount of milk product or egg, mixed with a large quantity of grain or legume) (Of ncourse milk and egg are already fully usable protein but you don't need as much)
Naturally, insofar as you can, use whole grains for more protein.

also other vegetables have a discreet amount of protein which, in combination with other foods, gives you the complete protein of meat. (pasta with broccoli, for instance) Anyway, if you're not actually still growing you don't need all that much protein.

Fortunately, since most people were too poor to eat meat for most of history, peasant food of all countries is full of plenty of great recipes. Mostlty i know the italian versions, since i live here. I can give you plenty of recipes, just ask.
PLEASE DON'T BUY THAT AWFUL FAKE MEAT - it doesn't taste like meat anyway, and has a creepy texture and is basically an industrial product.

You'd be surprised how full you feel after a nice dish of pasta and fagioli.

[shel]

Originally Posted by siduri

[...] other foods, gives you the complete protein of meat. (pasta with broccoli, for instance) [...] PLEASE DON'T BUY THAT AWFUL FAKE MEAT [...] You'd be surprised how full you feel after a nice dish of pasta and fagioli.

I truly enjoy pasta (especially some whole wheat versions) with broccoli and some garlic and Reggiano. Eat it a few times month.

I don't usually eat FAKE MEAT, although there is a brand of soy chicken nuggets that I enjoy three or four times a year with hot sauce.

Pasta with chick peas - mmmm! been eating several variations of that combination since 1989.

Thanks!

scb

[OregonYeti]

I've made a delicious fresh pea soup, with pureed fresh peas. I don't know the protein content of fresh peas, but since they are a legume, I imagine they're a pretty good source (?) Maybe someone can inform me on this, since I couldn't find that info.

[shel]

A cup of green peas (160-grams) contains almost 9-grams of protein, slightly more than 17% of an adult's MDR.

WHFoods: Green peas

Green peas contain naturally-occurring substances
called purines. Purines are commonly found in plants,
animals, and humans. In some individuals who are
susceptible to purine-related problems, excessive
intake of these substances can cause health problems.
Since purines can be broken down to form uric acid,
excess accumulation of purines in the body can lead
to excess accumulation of uric acid. The health condition
called "gout" and the formation of kidney stones from
uric acid are two examples of uric acid-related problems
that can be related to excessive intake of purine-containing
foods. For this reason, individuals with kidney problems or
gout may want to limit or avoid intake of purine-containing
foods such as green peas.

scb

[epicous]

In Mexico:
- gusanos de maguey (maguey worms)



- escamoles (larvae of ants of the genus Liometopum)

[OregonYeti]

I don't have kidney problems or gout, so I will continue to enjoy green peas

Those gusanos look really yummy um . . . .

[teamfat]

One item you may want to experiment with are soba noodles, sort of a Japanese buckwheat pasta. Gee, I should know this, I think ubon, udon, ?? noodles are a wider, flat version of soba.

Cold in salads, or alone with a dash of hot sauce, garnished with diced green onions, or hot in various soups, or a quick stir fry with onion slivers, bell pepper, garlic, or maybe leek rings, tofu and peanuts, or a little Thai curry, lemon grass and snow peas, or ....

mjb.