This pyramid courtesy of http://www.veganfoodpyramid.com/

The U.S. recommended daily allowance of protein is .8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (.36 grams per pound) for the general population. (example: 140# person needs 83 grams a day) Keep in mind that athletes need more than others. You don’t need as much protein as most people think, and it’s easy to get what we do need from a half dozen, common foods, eaten just a little bit at a time throughout the day. Great examples are beans, nuts, seeds, grains, soy, and even greens.

So how do vegetarians get protein? Here are 10 sources.

1. Veggies: Greens pack a protein punch. One cup of cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. The same serving of French beans has about 13 grams. Two cups of cooked kale? 5 grams. One cup of boiled peas? Nine grams.

2. Hemp. Toss 30 grams of hemp powder in your smoothie and get about 11 grams of protein – just like that.

3. Non-Dairy Milk. 1 cup of almond milk can pack about 7-9 grams of protein. Eat with some fortified cereal and you’ve got a totally protein packed breakfast.

4. Nut Butter/nuts. A couple of tablespoons of either peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter has 8 grams of protein. Amount is varied with individual nuts

5. Quinoa. Quinoa is gluten-free and has 9 grams of protein per cup.

6. Tempeh. (locally made in Asheville!), One cup of tempeh packs about 40 grams of protein! That’s more than 5 eggs or a regular hamburger patty.

7. Lentils. With lentils, you can make rice dishes, veggie burgers, casseroles and more. One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of protein!

8. Beans. They really are the magical fruit. With one cup of pinto, kidney or black beans, you’ll get about 13-15 grams of protein, a full belly and heart-healthy fiber.

9. Chickpeas, 12 grams/cup- Need a good hummus recipe?  Try mine!

10. Sprouted-grain bread. Ezekiel brand for example. There are 18 amino acids (including the essential 9) present in this unique bread – from all vegetable sources. You’ll get about 4 grams of protein in the bread alone.

No, you’re wrong – this isn’t raspberry ice cream with a cookie.  It’s red beet hummus.  Beets have an intense crimson color that indicates the sheer quantity of antioxidants they contain.  One of those antioxidants is called  betalains which is higher in beets than most other veggies and fights off cancer and other diseases.  I encourage you on behalf of beet lovers everywhere to introduce this beet hummus to your family and friends and get the conversation rolling about just how delicious healthy can be with this colorful, tasty dip.  This makes an awesome sandwich spread as well.

If you have someone who refuses to eat beets, then go ahead and fool them by asking them if they want raspberry ice cream!

Ingredients

1 large beet (or 4 or 5 small ones) with leaves removed

1 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with no liquid

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup slivered almonds

5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 T fresh lemon

1/4 t. ground cumin

salt and pepper to your taste

1/4 cup  slivered almonds or minced parsley to sprinkle on top

 Directions:

Prepare beets by simmering in a medium saucepan of water until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes.

Drain and cool until you can comfortably handle them then peel off  skin.

Place beets into food processor along with garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup slivered almonds, oil and garlic and blend until smooth.

Add vinegar and blend, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup slivered almonds on top or some minced parsley.

Serve with “Mary’s Gone Crackers” gluten free crackers or slivered fresh veggies for dipping.

-To your good health, Lee Newlin

Serves 6-8

Whenever we travel I have this soup stored in my freezer at home ready to boost our immune systems into fighting off any bug that we might have picked up. It is great to make for family and friends as well as making it for yourself. Everything is right here to come to the rescue from fighting colds to cancer plus it is delicious. Have everything ready to go and it will pull together quickly. You can do this. -To your good health, Lee

Ingredients:
1 ½ C. dried navy or black beans rinsed and cooked till just tender or 2 cans drained.
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Zest of 1 organic lime and juiced separately
1 small red onion diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large bulb fennel, finely chopped
6 cups greens (cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli leaves) chopped into ½ ” pieces
2-3 cups vegetable stock
28 oz. can tomatoes, diced with juice or 6 medium fresh tomatoes
1 small can chopped green chilies mild
Chopped cilantro to garnish
Optional or delete if vegan- Dollop of Greek yogurt or strained kefir cheese to go on top of each bowl

Directions

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat no hotter than that and immediately add garlic.

Add lime zest stirring constantly until garlic is tender- a few seconds. DO NOT BROWN

Toss in onion, celery, and fennel and sweat all, stirring, until soft (4-5 minutes).

Add all greens and stock then cover pan and gently cook for 4-6 minutes.

Gently pour in beans and tomatoes and heat through only

Stir in chilies, cilantro and lime juice to taste, heat through once more and serve

Garnish each bowl with the Greek yogurt or chopped cilantro on top.
(Do not boil this soup or you risk losing that wonderful green color)

This salad could stand in all by itself as a nutritional and flavor packed entree. The miso dressing is incredible and we love to serve it to company or on our “Friday Night Dinner Date” with each other. Just a beautiful salad inside and out.

4-6 servings.

Dressing
• ¼ cup brown rice vinegar
• 1 ½ T light miso
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1T honey
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ t. sea salt

Vegetables
• 3 T. dried hijiki sea vegetables
• 16 oz shelled frozen edamame beans
• ½ daikon peeled
• 1 carrot peeled
• 4 handfuls baby spinach, arugula, mixed greens
• 15 oz can drained and rinsed soy beans

• In a medium bowl whisk all ingredients for the dressing till emulsified. Set aside
• Rehydrate hijiki in hot water 10 mins till double in size. Drain water off. Defrost beans and mix with hijiki and season with salt
• Using peeler make a pile of long shavings from daikon and carrot then cut into matchstick thin pieces.
• Wash greens and dry well. Toss with hijiki, edamame, vegetables, beans. By spoonfuls drip dressing on this until lightly coated but not drowning. Serve on a large platter of greens or in pretty bowl.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds green asparagus cleaned & trimmed. Reserve ends for broth
1 large bunch of scallions, green part set aside, white part chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup of peeled and sliced potato
Sprig of fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
2 T. butter or Earth Balance (butter substitute)
1 T fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a large pot with 5 cups of water add asparagus ends, herbs, and scallion greens. Add 1/2 teasp. of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes. Strain it and set aside.

Cut off the tips of the asparagus where they break normally. Set aside while you chop the remaining “middles” into 1/2 inch pieces.
Melt butter in a soup pot. Over medium heat add the white part of the scallions, asparagus middles and potato slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until the butter starts to brown.

Pour the reserved hot stock through a strainer right into the pot of asparagus and potato and simmer for 5 minutes. Press solids to get all flavors out. Using a stick blender puree the soup until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add asparagus tips, simmering 5 minutes more. Serve immediately — the bright green color fades when it sits too long.

Quinoa is a tiny, ancient Peruvian seed with a mild, nutty flavor, which is often used like a grain. The protein content reigns supreme at an average of 16%, compared with 7% for rice, 10% for millet and 14% for wheat. Some varieties of Quinoa have more than 20% protein content.

This recipe is a great way to “beef” up dinner so you can serve a meatless meal with plenty of nutrition as well as protein and it is delicious!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the cleaned, drained quinoa and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the chickpeas, tomato, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, parsley, oil, and spices. Add the cooked quinoa and toss to coat well. Serve with avocado slices or on a bed of lettuce.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories: 283 calories
Carbs: 46 g
Sodium: 200 mg
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 9 g
Fiber: 6 mg