Tuesday, March 2, 2010

needing protein

So, I'm kind of over meat.

I was a vegetarian a long time and then when I moved to an Eskimo village and my dietary choices limited significantly (dry fish with seal oil? or corned caribou?), so I started eating meat and never looked back. I realized I function best with a good deal of protein.

And so I became a meat eater. But, I'm kind of over it now. Being in touch with my inner Asian, I've been putting little bits in vegetable dishes for flavor, but the texture and feel of meat itself as a star of a dish? Rarely excites me. And i thought it was just a problem with my cooking, but now I don't think so.

So, I'm needing new and exciting ways to get enough protein.

Eggs I will eat sometimes, but I tire of them pretty quickly.
Yogurt is a staple but not a satisfying food (better as a dessert).
Legumes are a frequent part of my diet, often with a little bit of meat.
I would eat fish but I don't like the local fish and good wild Pacific salmon and halibut is way too expensive. And the shellfish here always makes me ill. I do eat tuna in moderation (ah, the mercury fears).
I do eat nuts and seeds, but they're way high in calories for the protein they provide.
I also take the whey from yogurt making and use it in soups and breads - I'm hoping that ups their protein content.

Other ideas?? I'm the queen of variety and cannot stand food routines ...

3 comments:

  1. Actually... those are pretty varied ways to get protein in your diet! I tend to not tire of things because I always space things out and get a good mix of meat and veggies per meal (well, I try, especially when eating out). Legume products - such as tofu - are also a good source of protein.

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  2. Ah yes - I should have said that. I used to love soy, but I went cold turkey because I have thyroid dysfunction (and refuse treatment) and there seems to be some research that non-fermented soy products such as tofu can exacerbate that. I do miss soy milk.

    Thanks for posting, Manggy. Sorry I ranted about men - your post clearly hit a nerve! :)

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  3. Besides (organic) peanut butter & (homemade preserves) jelly sandwiches, ha ha, you already have lots of ways of gettin' yo' protein on, hee hee...but C&Z juuuuust posted a rice & bean salad recipe that you might like to add to your repertoire. =)

    http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2010/03/rice_and_bean_salad.php

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