Eating vegetarian more often is a nutrition recommendation that isn’t always well-received. However, with the current cost of food, more folks are feeling motivated to try different sources of cost-effective protein. Everyone knows the cost of animal protein is high. Even cheaper cuts, like chicken thighs, are considered expensive now.
A delicious, well-marinated tofu or a lentil curry with lots of flavour can become a tasty way to decrease your food costs. The benefits of eating more plant-based foods goes three ways. Good for your health by decreasing the risk of disease, saving money on food by purchasing cheaper protein from plants and good for the environment.
To understand the cost difference between a plant-based meal and a meal including animal protein, two recipes from the Smitten Kitchen website were analyzed. The lentil meal cost $1.01 per serving and the chicken meal cost $5.49/meal. Although one serving of the lentil meal only provided 14 grams or protein (whereas the chicken one provided 32 grams) even if you double the portion of the lentil meal the cost of the plant-based meal is still significantly less.
To get the nutrition benefits, try including plant-based meals in your week. Dishes that include foods like legumes (beans, lentils and dried peas), tofu or tempeh and nuts and seeds (including peanut butter) are examples of plant-based proteins. You’ll pay less for this kind of protein while increasing your fibre intake.
Some folks find the shift to plant-based meals a bit intimidating and make the transition easier by adding plant-based protein with animal protein. For instance, if you’re not quite ready to shift to a lentil Bolognese sauce for your pasta, you can add a can of lentils to your meat sauce. It helps us habituate to the taste and texture of legumes while gaining their nutrition benefits.
In addition to eating plant-based foods like beans, nuts and soy products, there are many food products that are made from these ingredients. You can try pasta made with chickpea flour or crackers made out of almonds. When you’re cooking at home try Lentils.ca. It is a promotional brand funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. They have several recipes to help you use lentils in cooking and baking. For instance, you can make their blueberry oatmeal lentil muffins by cooking the oats and lentils before adding them to the batter of the muffins.
With good flavour these muffins are an innovative way to add fibre and protein to your first meal of the day.
Another study has shown eating more plant-based fats (think avocados, olive oil, canola oil) decreases all cause mortality and death from heart disease. The study shows a correlation between the chance of dying and and not a direct how much plant-based fats a person eats. It can serve as another reason to enjoy plant-based foods regularly, including plant-based fats.
The Guelph Family Health Study, at the University of Guelph, is a long-term study designed to follow families over many years. The study has produced several cookbooks, with one focussed on plant-based recipes. Seasoning is the key to making plant-based recipes taste great. The Plant-Based Proteins recipe book is made even better by having several recipes available by video so you can cook along with the recipe.
One underused ingredient for many of us is tempeh. Check out the Guelph Family Health Study’s recipe for tempeh bites with chipotle dip is a great and easy way to try tempeh at home.
