Friday, April 20, 2012

Bean counting

After watching Food Inc, my resolve to become a vegetarian is strengthened. The challenge in being a vegetarian is finding sources of pure protein that would provide the protein without loading up on carbs. I started to research the nutritional values of different food items and found some terrific sources of protein. I would come up with recipe using these protein sources. Once vegetarian protein source that tops the chart is Soy. Soy bean is considered a complete protein. A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to
synthesize them1. The great thing about soy is that it takes different forms and is so versatile that it could be incorporated in several dishes from Indian to Continental to Asian. However one shouldn't discount legumes and chickpea. The oldest crop known to humanity could very well save the hungry planet, especially since soybean is owned by a few companies that control the genetic material. I would strongly urge you to opt for genetically unmodified products. The table here compares several vegetarian protein sources and I will post recipes using these ingredients. I haven't posted any because the dishes I have been making lately are not really postable. I will stop my experiments and will try making some traditional recipes from the eastern world that uses the amazing veg protein sources.

2 comments:

  1. Though Soy is indeed great, do not go overboard with it. Studies suggest issues with estrogen imbalance. I say suggest because there is controversy around this topic. I would not go any more than 3-4 servings a week until studies are more conclusive.

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  2. I substitute firm tofu for potatoes in Aloo mattar.
    I rub the firm tofu with ginger-garlic paste and garam masala powder and put some weight on it overnight to make it firmer. Cannot wait for your recipes.

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