Seriously.. The number one question when you become vegan… “Where do you get your protein from”… Yes, batman in this meme puts it quite aptly… FROM PLANTS!!!
I think people who have not had the luxury of education on plant based living are not trying to push a button, it’s just something that they are not educated on.
The other thing that happens in our society is that we tend to only agree with, or wrap our heads around things that are familiar to us. Steak is familiar in association to protein… but spinach leaves were just something Popeye ate… not something that was put on your plate as your actual main protein source ( for most of us anyway).
When we realise that most of the things we understand and agree with are things that are familiar then we can recognise that the only thing it takes to make a change is to change our perception and step outside of our comfort zones of what we know. Often as children we hate the taste of some vegetable or food but as we grow and are made to eat it all the time our tastes just grow to know it is familiar and we like it. The idea of swapping out beans or lentils can make some peoples faces screw up like “yuk” but that is because there is this weird association with vegan food being bland….
Let’s set the record straight…. Bland food is bland… it has nothing to do with it being vegan or not! Lather anything in a delicious spice mix, or rocking pesto and it ‘aint bland no more.
Right, now we are past the “vegan is bland” conversation, let’s bump back into Plant Proteins.
Proteins both come from and break down to create amino acids and these are the building blocks of life. Proteins not only build our muscles but our whole bodies as well. Essentially most food is made from, creates and has protein in it and i could supply you with a never ending list of plant proteins. What people are often really more concerned about is how much they have to eat to get a certain amount of grams of protein without limited amounts of carbohydrates and fats.
Nuts and seeds are high in protein and also high in fats. Many legumes and grains that are high in proteins are also high in carbohydrates. Now, before we go thinking about how you can eliminate carbohydrates and fats please remember that nature is smart. You dont need to eat meat, or isolate proteins to be fit and toned. What do gorillas eat? PLANTS!!! I am pretty sure those strong giants aren’t counting calories or isolating amino acids.
I know that we are not gorillas, we are humans and yes our bodies are built different to theirs. As a vegan you often do have to think about how to get a complete protein in your diet by mixing legumes and grains together. However, there are plenty of plants that are complete vegan proteins… YES!!! Hemp seeds ( omg, i love hemp seeds), quinoa, chia, spirulina, soy, pumpkin seeds and more!
At Elixiba we use a whole range of plant proteins to ensure you are getting a balanced ( and delicious) meal. Our burger patties have chickpeas, shitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds and brown rice flour as a protein base. Our epic Hemp burger uses hemp seeds, chickpeas, spirulina and brown rice flour to give you a protein hit. We also use tempeh – a bio-fermented soybean, nuts, seeds, jackfruit, edamame beans, black beans, spinach, black rice, mushrooms, broccoli, lentils, almonds and sprouts as plant based protein in our delicious creations.
Mmmm im getting hungry just thinking about it!
So, there is one more part to add about plant proteins. I know y’all associate protein with fitness and growing muscles and there is one part that you have to do outside of eating delicious food.
You have to MOVE your body. Thats right… in his spare time batman does plenty of pushups and burpees to keep himself fit to save the city. Get out in nature, go to the gym, dance all night long. When you combine the two together.. Than you are going to be really feeling the benefits of plant based living and have the muscles to prove its possible 🙂
For delicious Protein Filled Bookings at Elixiba call:
Sunshine Coast (07) 5443 9880
Gold Coast (07) 5562 1407
Byron Bay (02) 6685 6845