Protein

Protein has been my main problem and I'm feeling the lack. Despite attempting to include protein sources at every meal and as snacks - nut and nut butters, beans of every kind in every form, tofu - and sticking to quinoa whenever possible for grains, despite all the protein you can get from leafy greens and brown rice, I'm racking up all of 40 or 50 grams a day, and that's just not enough.

I was discussing this with my running guru, Marathon Girl, and she insisted on sending me home with a carton of protein powder. She's using the Designer Whey, 100 calories for 18 grams of whey protein. It's not the most "natural" substance in the world but I'm really not sure what else I can do at this point, so breakfast today is almond milk, one scoop of protein powder, the last banana and some blueberries. We'll see if this perks me up a bit. (I should clarify that Marathon Girl is a long-time vegetarian and definitely not a vegan naysayer in any way!)

Here's the list of protein sources from Bob Harper (however one may feel about the show, I think Bob really knows his stuff, and he is a vegan)
1. ALL kinds of beans (black, kidney, great northern, chick peas, black eyed peas, green peas, lentils, pinto beans, lima beans)
2. Tempeh
3. Seitan
4. Tofu
5. Veggie burger
6. Quinoa
7. Oatmeal
8. Brown rice
9. Whole wheat bread
10. Nuts
11. Peanut butter
12. Soy milk
13. Hemp Protein
14. Green Pea Protein
15. Brown Rice Protein
16. Vegan Protein Powder
17. Chlorella
18. Plenty of rich green leafy vegetables

I'm not currently eating tempeh or seitan, I'll have to learn more about these. I'm opposed to veggie burgers and soy milk because of the whole soy issue (still undecided on whether soy is bad, but I do tend to think that less processed food is better). That leaves me one of the vegan-friendly protein powders and Chlorella, whatever that is.

Marathon Girl had some friends visiting, including one who went vegan for 3 months when living with her vegan brother. She mentioned nutritional yeast for the best mac-and-cheese ever - she tells me she still makes this though she is not at all vegan. Apparently the nutritional yeast can also be used on raw cauliflower for a veggie snack. Sounds like I need some of this stuff too, so a trip to the health food store would seem to be in order.

One more week, and I know I can get through the 21 days, but it's definitely a "finish what you started" kind of mentality. I've learned a lot about food and I definitely see this experience re-balancing my overall food choices, but I can see that all-vegan, all-the-time is not for me. And I'm not convinced it's really healthy or sustainable for bodies that evolved to be omnivores. Yes, we're over-reliant upon meat and animal-derived foods, but I don't think the complete rejection of those foods is the answer.

Moderation in all things... including moderation.