pdf_with_toc

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Protein Mythpoof!In the past, some people believed one could never get toomuch protein. In the early 1900s, Americans were told toeat well over 100 grams of protein a day. And as recentlyas the 1950s, health-conscious people were encouraged to boosttheir protein intake. Today, some diet books encourage highprotein intake for weight loss, although Americans tend to takein twice the amount of protein they need already. And while individualsfollowing such a diet have sometimes had short-termsuccess in losing weight, they are often unaware of the healthrisks associated with a high-protein diet. Excess protein hasbeen linked with osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stonesin the urinary tract, and some cancers.the building blocks of lifePeople build muscle and other body proteins from aminoacids, which come from the proteins they eat. A varied diet ofbeans, lentils, grains, and vegetables contains all of the essentialamino acids. It was once thought that various plant foods hadto be eaten together to get their full protein value, but currentresearch suggests this is not the case. Many nutrition authorities,including the American Dietetic Association, believe proteinneeds can easily be met by consuming a variety of plantprotein sources over an entire day. To get the best benefit fromthe protein you consume, it is important to eat enough caloriesto meet your energy needs.the trouble with too much proteinThe average American diet contains meat and dairy products.As a result, it is often too high in protein. This can lead to aTips for making the switch to a vegetarian diet• Convenience foods cut cooking time. Supermarkets and naturalfoods stores stock a huge array of instant soups and main-dishvegetarian convenience items. Many canned soups, such as minestrone,black bean, or vegetable, are vegetarian. Flavored rice orother grain mixes, like curried rice or tabouli salad, can be stretchedinto an entrée with a can of beans. Visit the frozen food sectionfor internationally inspired vegetarian frozen entrées such as cornand bean enchiladas, lentil curry, or vegetarian pad thai. Or tryvegetarian baked beans, refried beans, sloppy joe sauce, and meatlessspaghetti sauce from the canned goods isle.• Ask for it! Even restaurants that don’t offer vegetarian entréescan usually whip up a meatless pasta or vegetable plate if you ask.If attending a catered affair, catch the waiter before you are servedand ask him or her to remove the chicken breast from your plateand slip on an extra baked potato. Most airlines offer vegetarianmeals if you ask in advance; or you can always bring a meal onboard with you.• Order your next pizza without cheese but with a mountain ofvegetable toppings.• Find vegetarian cookbooks at your local library or bookstore andhave fun experimenting with new foods and recipes.• International restaurants are the best bets for finding vegetarianfood when dining out. Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, andIndian restaurants all offer a wide variety of vegetarian dishes.• Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) is fat-free, has a texture likeground beef, and is wonderful in tacos, chili, and sloppy joes. Lookfor it in the bulk food section of the grocery store.• Summer barbecues are healthy and fun with meatless hot dogs andburgers. Or, for a real change of pace, grill thick slices of marinatedvegetables like eggplant, zucchini, or tomatoes.• Check out ethnic groceries for special vegetarian foods. Middle-Easterndelis offer stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and eggplant spreads.Italian markets are a wonderful place to find hearty homemadebreads, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh pasta. Indian and Asianmarkets offer many vegetarian delicacies, also.• The simplest dishes are often the most satisfying. Brown rice,gently seasoned with herbs and lemon and sprinkled with choppednuts or sunflower seeds, is a perfect dish.• When traveling, pack plenty of vegetarian snacks like instant soups,fresh fruit, raw vegetables, trail mix, granola bars, and homemadeoatmeal cookies. Fill a cooler with sandwiches and individual containersof juice and soymilk.4 VEGETARIAN STARTER KIT
number of serious health problems:Breakfast3 oatmeal pancakes withapplesauce topping, calciumfortifiedorange juice, fresh fruitLunchBean burritos: black beans in corntortillas, topped with chopped lettuce,tomatoes, and salsa, spinachsalad with tahini-lemon dressingDinnerChinese stir-fry over brown rice:tofu chunks, broccoli, pea pods,water chestnuts, and Chinese cabbage(bok choy), cantaloupe chunksdrizzled with fresh lime juiceSnackDried figssample menus• Kidney Disease: When people eat toomuch protein, they take in more nitrogenthan they need. This places a strain on thekidneys, which must expel the extra nitrogenthrough urine. People with kidneydisease are encouraged to eat low-proteindiets. Such a diet reduces the excess levelsof nitrogen and can also help preventkidney disease.• Cancer: Although fat is the dietarysubstance most often singled out for increasingcancer risk, protein also plays arole. Populations who eat meat regularlyare at increased risk for colon cancer, andresearchers believe that the fat, protein,natural carcinogens, and absence of fiberin meat all play roles. The 1997 report ofthe World Cancer Research Fund andAmerican Institute for Cancer Research,Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention ofCancer, noted that meaty, high-proteindiets were linked with some types ofcancer.• Osteoporosis and Kidney Stones: Dietsthat are rich in animal protein causepeople to excrete more calcium than normalthrough their kidneys and increasethe risk of osteoporosis. Countries withlower-protein diets have lower rates ofosteoporosis and hip fractures.Increased calcium excretion increasesrisk for kidney stones. Researchers inEngland found that when people addedabout 5 ounces of fish (about 34 gramsof protein) to a normal diet, the risk offorming urinary tract stones increasedby as much as 250 percent.For a long time it was thought thatathletes needed much more protein thanother people. The truth is that athletes,even those who strength-train, need onlyslightly more protein, which is easilyobtained in the larger servings athletesrequire for their higher caloric intake.Vegetarian diets are great for athletes.To consume a diet that contains enough,but not too much, protein, simply replaceanimal products with grains, vegetables,legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), andfruits. As long as one is eating a varietyof plant foods in sufficient quantityto maintain one’s weight, the body getsplenty of protein.Breakfast1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon andraisins, ½ cup fortified soymilk,1 slice toast with 1 tablespoonalmond butter, ½ grapefruitLunchWhole wheat pita stuffedwith hummus (see recipe onpage 14), sliced tomatoes,and lettuce, carrot sticksDinner1 cup baked beans , bakedsweet potato, 1 cup steamedcollard greens drizzled withlemon juice, baked appleSnackBanana soymilk shakewhew!CookingwithoutEggsMany people choose not to use eggsin their diet. About 70 percent of thecalories in eggs are from fat, and a bigportion of that fat is saturated. Theyare also loaded with cholesterol—about213 milligrams for an average-sized egg.Because egg shells are fragile and porousand conditions on egg farms arecrowded, eggs are the perfect host forsalmonella—the bacteria that is theleading cause of food poisoning in thiscountry.Eggs are often used in baked productsbecause of their binding and leaveningproperties. But smart cooks havefound good substitutes for eggs. Tryone of the following the next time youprepare a recipe that calls for eggs:• If a recipe calls for just one or twoeggs, you can often skip them. Add acouple of extra tablespoons of water foreach egg eliminated to balance out themoisture content of the product.• Eggless egg replacers are availablein many natural food stores. These aredifferent from reduced-cholesterol eggproducts, which do contain eggs. Eggreplacers are egg-free and are usually ina powdered form. Replace eggs in bakingwith a mixture of the powdered eggreplacer and water according to packagedirections.• Use 1 heaping tablespoon of soy flouror cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons ofwater to replace each egg in a bakedproduct.• Use 1 ounce of mashed tofu in placeof an egg.• In muffins and cookies, half of amashed banana can be used insteadof an egg, although it will change theflavor of the recipe somewhat.• For vegetarian loaves and burgers,use any of the following to bind ingredientstogether: tomato paste, mashedpotato, moistened bread crumbs, orrolled oats.PCRM 5
Page 1 and 2: starter kitthe whys and howsof a he
Page 3: plant-based. When people from those
Page 7 and 8: What about Milk?• Calcium: Green
Page 9 and 10: Whole Grains5or more servings a day
Page 11 and 12: Vegetarian Diets for PregnancyDurin
Page 13 and 14: adding foods to your baby’s diet.
Page 15 and 16: Easy Bean SaladServes 10So simple a

pdf_with_toc

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?