Sound familiar? My mom says this to me daily. The "protein myth" often comes up in conversations about vegetarian diets and cutting down on meat consumption. This misconception holds that meat is the best source of protein and, therefore, people who don't eat meat or eat less meat (like Mr. Cafe Kim and I are trying to do) aren't getting enough protein.
This belief simply isn't true. Mr. Cafe Kim and I have found that we've had to be a little more creative about how we include protein in each meal on our "less meat" diet. But there are plenty of ways to get enough protein from plant sources. Here is one of our favorites...
Whole wheat pasta!
Most whole wheat pastas have a high protein content than regular pasta. Typically, most brands have 7-10g of protein per serving. (Generally, between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein.)
We've been making a lot of meals lately with whole wheat pasta. Vegetable lasagna (using whole wheat noodles, pasta sauce, ricotta and cottage cheese, and spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini) is a breeze to make. Or, sometimes for a quick meal, we throw a package of frozen veggies into boiling pasta water with the pasta, and they cook at the same time. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top, and you've got a balanced meal with carbs, protein, fiber, and healthy fat.
Besides eating meat, how else do you make sure your diet includes enough protein?
Written by Kim Conte for Food & Party Buzz in CafeMom Life & Home
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