We're not vegetarians, but I hardly ever cook meat. Mainly it's for health reasons and also because raw meat kind of grosses me out! But for nursing or pregnant mamas and growing baby boys, I often find myself wondering, "How can I squeeze more protein in?" I recently got turned on to hemp seeds, which I love! They're super high in protein and good fats and we've been putting them on salads, eating them by the handful and even in smoothies. Sam's munching on a mouthful above. They've got about 4 grams of protein in a tablespoon, so a few spoonfuls on a salad really beefs it up, so to speak.
Another new favorite is baked tofu. I know, I know it look kind of gross, but it really is my new favorite way to eat it. They have it in the deli at Whole Foods and I used to get it for Sam because he loves it. Finally I just asked the friendly guy behind the counter how they make it and it turns out it's super easy. Just marinate it in soy sauce for awhile and bake it at 325 until it's firm. I don't really know how long, an hour or two. I never set the time, I just check on it periodically. And if you forget about it, no biggie, it's nearly impossible to overcook. We crumble this over salads too, and Sam likes to just eat hunks of it.
Did you know quinoa has all nine of of the essential amino acids? Amazing, right? It's also got lots of good minerals like iron. We usually eat it as a base for cold grain salads (with cukes, tomatoes, herbs and oil and vinegar), but it's also really yummy just with butter as a side or as a breakfast cereal with rice milk and honey.
So that's how we get our protein around these parts. How about you guys? Any secret weapon, power-packed snacks? I'm always looking for good protein snacks beyond the old celery and peanut butter standby.
