This is my new favorite breakfast. I eat it with smoked salmon, but you can make it with scrambled tofu or egg. It’s quick to put together and is lovely and light. It has high protein, veggies, probiotics and a lot of flavor. I especially like the toasted sesame oil addition.
I got this recipe from Dr Rupy Aujla’s book, “Healthy High Protein”. A lot of people have asked me lately to help them reset their health and I found that I am very much aligned with the views of this book and doctor, seeing food as medicine as well as fuel.
There are a lot of misconceptions on why you need more protein in your diet, what your body uses it for and how to get it from healthy, plant based (and other) sources. So, I am going to share a little wisdom to help create more of a foundation of healthful information.
Let’s start at the beginning, it’s a very good place to start…
The three core pillars of my diet are maintaining protein, supporting gut health and lowering inflammation. So, when a nutritionist says, increase you protein by adding 20 eggs to your diet and eat chicken every day (true story), I’d say firstly poor chickens and secondly, that doesn’t meet all my health requirements. I’m looking for a clear mind, good digestion and sustainable energy and for that to be true I need to prioritise all 3 of my pillars.
Let’s start with protein. What are the benefits of eating protein?
- Fewer sugar cravings. Sugar cravings dimmish because protein in very satiating and keeps you fuller for longer.
- Weight loss. Protein requires more energy than carbohydrates and fat to be broken down
- More energy. Energy levels may increase and allow for you to sustain longer bouts of exercise. More protein in your diet, coupled with exercise, can improve muscle strength recovery.
- Better sleep. Proteins form the building blocks of melatonin and other hormones involved in different stages of sleep.
- Bone and muscle health. Generally, above the age of 55 we absorb less protein. More protein in the diet, is associated with greater bone mineral density and a lower loss of bone cells. This could be because protein enhances calcium uptake and stimulates the IGF-1 growth hormone.
- Metabolic health. Your muscles serve as an important store of sugar. Thus, the less muscle you have the higher the risk of metabolic health issues like type 2 diabetes.
- Longevity. A meta-analysis of over 700,000 adults found a higher protein intake (particularly plant-based sources) was associated with lower deaths from all causes, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
More to come next week, for now here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 lentil cakes (protein)
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- 50g Kimchi (I use vinegar and spice free)
- 75g smoked salmon/scrambled eggs/smoked tofu slices (protein)
- 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (protein)
- 1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds (protein)
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup pea shoots (protein)
Method
- Build each lentil cake, starting with the avocado slices, followed by the kimchi, smoked salmon if using or other protein, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame oil
- Top with the pea shoots (these came from my garden. You could swap for scallions, micro herbs or beansprouts)
