Plant Protein 201

I shared a list of my favourite plant proteins in PLANT PROTEIN 101 but its time to graduate to common problems I have dealt with in Plant Protein 201.

"Beans Give Me Gas"

They gave me gas too, lets just fix that. Eating beans from a can? Rinse them to the point that you don’t understand why you are still rinsing them. But your best bet is to cook your own, I failed at this for the longest time but have since become a master. YOU MUST SOAK THE BEANS for at least 24 hours before cooking them. This helps to remove some of the alpha-galactosidic compounds and soluble fibre that are thought to be responsible for the gas production. Fermenting the beans will help even more because the bacteria used in the fermentation process break down these compounds and produces the same gas before you ingest them! (The exception to this is if you have a sensitivity to beans and legumes, everyone is different after all!)

How do I cook my beans? I soak them overnight, rinse them VERY well and cook in an instant pot. Different beans have different cooking times, I cook chickpeas for 15 minutes with the quick release method. 

"Tofu has a Gross Texture"

Then you’re buying the wrong texture. Tofu comes in everything from silken which has a high water content and is often used for blending desserts and sauces, to extra firm which depends heavily on the brand. If you buy the cheap stuff, you’ll know it won’t be very firm, if you spend the extra $3 to get the good stuff, you’ll know. Don’t want to pay for the good stuff? Put your tofu block between 2 plates with something heavy on top to release some of the water and make it firmer, then cook small pieces on all sides to evaporate additional water content. 

"Tofu has a Gross Flavour"

This will only be the case if the seasoning you used is gross. Unseasoned tofu has nearly no flavour at all, so it takes on the flavour of whatever spices and flavours you cook it with. If you want it to resemble meat, use steak spice or poultry seasoning. Buying preflavoured tofu is also a great option to have with anymeal. 

"It's Winter & I Don't Feel Like Eating Salad"

Me either! In the winter I buy LOTS of hearty greens like swiss chard, kale, collards that can be cooked with some salt, garlic and apple cider vinegar until slightly wilted for a warm salad. Warm greens are the best in winter! I also throw some greens into any soup, stew and sauce we make to brighten the colour and add some green nutrition.

"What do I do with Tahini?"

Sometimes I look at tahini and I don’t know what to do with it either haha. 99% of the time I use it to make a creamy salad dressing (a caeser mimic) but we use this dressing on so many meals it is a staple (caeser salad, kale salad, tacos, sweet potatoes, tofu scramble, buddha bowls). 

"I am not a Snack Eater, How do I Incorporate Nuts & Seeds?"

Me either, I almost never snack. I love sauces, the more sauce the better! So I make a lot of sauces out of cashews, walnuts and peanuts. When it comes to seeds, I do love some chia pudding and always add some hemp and flax in there. But usually seeds are added on top of meals (basically any healthy plate could use some hemp sprinkled on top), salads love some sesame and pumpkin and smoothies are just asking for hemp, chia and flax. 

I hope you found this helpful whether you are new to plant protein or a seasoned veteran. Send me a message or drop a comment if you have any questions about incorporating more plant protein into your life!