One Step At a Time...
You Can Go Meatless
One Day For All Three Meals
The Best of Meatless “Meats”
Faux meats, meat alternatives, and meat replacers—there are lots of
names, but they all mean the same thing: plant-based alternatives to meats.
While meat alternatives were once restricted to select specialty shops, today
grocery stores carry an increasing variety, often based on tofu, soy and other
plant proteins, that offer great solutions for vegetarians, vegans or people
simply interested in eating more meatless meals. Shelves are full of veggie
dogs, veggie burgers, chicken-less wings, deli “meats,” “bacon” and even
roasts.
You might assume that just because meat alternatives are plant-based
they are automatically healthy, but that’s not always the case. Some are highly
processed and may contain a fair amount of sodium. In addition, some products
contain cheese and other ingredients that could drive up the saturated fat
count. But have no fear; there are plenty of healthy meat alternatives
available, and we’ve done all the legwork to help separate the über-healthy
from the less healthy products.
Helpful hints. If you’re looking for a meat-like entrée for your
plant-based meal, check out these tips to make the best choice.
Check the Salt. While many are fairly low in sodium compared to most processed foods, there are a handful of meat alternatives that have almost one-third of a day’s worth of sodium, according to the Dietary Guidelines daily limit of 2,300 milligrams.
Get Protein.
Because these products are used in place of meat, make sure you obtain adequate
protein. The protein content of faux meats varies greatly, depending on the
main ingredients, which can include grains, vegetables, beans, tofu and soy.
While most animal products contain about seven grams of protein per ounce, a
guideline for meat alternatives is to look for at least 13 grams per
serving—the amount found in almost two ounces of meat.
Not All Servings Are the Same Size. Don’t be
fooled by super-low calorie options. A typical serving of meat is three ounces,
but the serving size for these faux meats ranges from less than two ounces to
more than five. Those smaller portions may not provide a big nutrition boost,
leaving you feeling hungry soon after eating. Balance out the rest of your meal
to provide enough calories and nutrients to satisfy you.
Healthy Meatless Recipe:
Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing
(Adapted from Cooking Light)
Eggplant
makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner when stuffed with tomato and peppers and
served with rice. Feta cheese adds tang and body to the stuffing.
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise (about
2 pounds) Cooking spray1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped
seeded plum tomato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
Directions:
·
Preheat oven to 400°.
·
Score cut side of
each eggplant half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Place the eggplant halves, cut
sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at
400° for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool on pan 10 minutes.
Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell; reserve eggplant shells.
Chop pulp.
·
Reduce oven
temperature to 350°.
·
Place bread in a food
processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Drizzle the
breadcrumbs with olive oil, and pulse to combine.
·
Heat a large nonstick
skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3
minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, and
garlic; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stuff each
eggplant shell with about 1/2 cup onion mixture; sprinkle with breadcrumb
mixture. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until
thoroughly heated and lightly browned.
·
Yield:
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)
Enjoy
and Bon Appetit!
Healthy
Weekly Motivator:
Learn From the Past
If
you’ve struggled to keep your New Year’s resolutions in the past or you’ve
already given up on the ones you made this year, you may need more than
willpower to reach your goals. Sometimes, before you can move forward, you need
a better understanding of how you got where you are and a wellness coach can
help.
“It’s
very important to know why you want that change and what it’s going to do for
you but also to look at what has been holding you back,” said Jill Eilenberger,
a licensed psychotherapist. This is especially important if you need to lose a
significant amount of weight or to quit smoking or drinking. A Wellness Coach
can help you to come to grips with your feelings so you can gain some insights
into how your problem developed and why you may be resistant to change.
Once you
have a better understanding of your feelings, your coach can help you to
prepare for making the change. This involves evaluating your priorities and
becoming aware of any conflicts or obstacles. It also involves getting very
clear about the reason you want to change. As your Wellness Coach, I can help you
work to build your confidence as well as to develop new skills for dealing with
problems as they arise.
Have a great week everyone and remember a better tomorrow starts
with what you eat today!
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share
with us? Send it my way!
Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
Professional Wellness Coach
973-383-0955
Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products
available here!
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness
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“Learn from the past,
set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time
over which you have any control: now.”
~ Denis Waitley ~
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