Tasty Tuesday! What about the Protein? And a yummy Bisque!

So one of the biggest thing that Vegan's get asked is "Where am I going to get all my protein if I am not eating meat?" And one of the biggest things that I learned in my WFPB classes is that we actually don't NEED as much protein as you think and we can get it from every day things we are already eating!

So what does this all mean? When proteins have ratios of amino acids similar to ours, we synthesize them efficiently. Animal proteins fall in this category. Dr T. Colin Campbell, the professor whose studies I have been learning, followed a group of malnourished children in the Philippines. Before this time there was a belief that the difference between poor and rich countries centered on protein consumption, but this program showed that it was more centered on getting the right KINDS of protein, as they discovered, to their surprise, that liver cancer was present in the best fed kids who were eating the "western" diet, a diet with high amounts of animal based products and high amounts of protein. Which presents the questions "Do higher protein and animal protein in take create health?"

We have put such an over emphasis on protein that it has become misleading. Since animal proteins have that amino acid profile similar to ours they cause faster body growth rate, faster cancer growth rate, more growth factors and earlier menarche. Those are all things that I could do without. Eating a Whole Food Plant Based Diet (WFPBD) is a longterm lifestyle change. It isn't a quick fix but it does provide natural consequences such as healthy weight management and long term health. We really only need about 10% of our total daily calories to come from protein and that's easily attainable with a WFPBD.

I could, and will probably, share a lot more information on this in the future, but I thought this was a good place to start since it is a common misconception about eating a Whole Food Plant Based Diet.

As most of you know, eating a WFPBD has changed my life over the last six weeks. My skin is clearer, I have more energy and my digestion has improved tremendously. I've lost 15 lbs and counting by basically eating as much WFPB foods as I want. 

And since this recipe got the most attention when I posted it during my cleanse, I thought I would share the recipe today!

Sweet Potato and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Bisque

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato (aka garnet yam)
• ¼ red bell pepper
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger root
• 1½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. miso paste, diluted in 1 tsp. hot water
• Tamari or Bragg® Liquid Aminos, Himalayan salt, and herbal seasoning (to taste)

Directions

Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Cook in boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, roast a whole red bell pepper on gas stovetop or grill, turning frequently until evenly charred on the outside OR in your oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or until skin is charred.

Put pepper in bowl and cover with towel for 10 minutes to steam. Clean off skin and seeds by running under cool water. Remove seeds, cut in quarters, and chop one quarter into ½-inch cubes. (Set remainder of pepper aside for another use.)

Place sweet potato, pepper, broth or water, ginger, oil, and miso in blender. (If you want chunky soup, set aside some chunks of pepper.) Blend thoroughly, adding more liquid to achieve desired soup consistency. Transfer to a pot and gently heat on low until hot. Add tamari or aminos, salt, and seasoning as desired. Serves 1. (I often double or quadruple the recipe to have left overs!)

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Happy Tasty Tuesday! Hope you come back to learn more about Whole Food Plant Based Living next week!