Vegetarian Myth #1 - You won’t get enough protein

This is probably the most frequently asked question about vegetarianism.

Truth: It is easy to get protein without eating animal products. What’s more is that most of us eat more protein than we need.

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR):

The AMDR is expressed as a percentage of total energy intake. Protein’s lower limit is 10% of total energy intake and its upper limit which is based on the safety and tolerance of protein is 35% in adults.  The balance is made up of carbohydrates and fat.

OR

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA):

Men: 0.8g/kg/day or 56 grams/day

Women: 0.8g/kg/day or 46 grams/day

Food	Protein	Measurement
Whole wheat pasta	14g	1/5 package
Canned lentils	8g	½ cup
Baked beans in tomato sauce	13g	1 cup
Whole wheat bread	7g	2 slices
Quinoa	6g	¼ cup
Vanilla soy milk	7g	1 cup
Brown rice	4g	½ cup
Cashews	8g	1/8 cup
Tofu	7g	3 oz
Cooked vegetables	2g	½ cup

References:

Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide To Nutrient Requirements - J.Otten, J Hellwig, L Meyers
The conscious cook - T. Ronnen

Easy Artichoke & Spinach Dip

An artichoke and spinach dip... the easiest dip to make. It is healthy, simple (and just happens to be vegan!)

Many of the dishes I make, come from what I find in the cupboard or the fridge. Put one can of artichoke hearts (8 or so), 2-3 marinated artichoke hearts from the jar, about 3/4 of a defrosted package of frozen spinach, 2 small garlic cloves and salt & pepper to taste in a food processor and mix well.  Slowly add a little olive oil for smoothness.

Serve this with whole wheat crackers and some of your favourite veggies.  Next time, I will substitue the raw garlic for roasted garlic.

What's for dinner tonight?

I am back for the holidays in Ottawa which means I am in the mood to cook! Since my last vegetable lasagna turned out so well and this being my husband’s favourite meal (minus the meat), I decided to make it again.

I fried sliced mushrooms and crushed garlic in oil then turned up the heat and added a little red wine and salt & pepper (and set aside).

I fried some diced onion, thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini and then added the mushrooms back in and added a jar of tomato sauce.  If you’re not going to make your own sauce I would highly recommend buying a good quality sauce. Once cooked through (do not overcook the vegetables!), I turned up the heat, added a little more red wine and some fresh basil, chili flakes and salt & pepper.

I layered it in a casserole dish, starting with the vegetable and tomato mixture on the bottom, then cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, a layer of light ricotta cheese then a mixture of part skim mozzarella/cheddar and parmesan cheese.  I repeated the layers two more times.

I baked the lasagna for 40 minutes at 350F and let cool for approximately 10 minutes.

The end result … quite delicious! And I’m sure it will taste better today.

Vegetable lasagna is easy to make and a great way to pump up your vegetable intake by incorporating your favourite veggies while endulging yourself in a satisfying meal.  The best part … you don’t miss the meat! Serve with a green salad and you are set.

Tip of the day: Using whole wheat lasagna noodles increases your intake of fibre and in my opinion tastes the same.

Adequate Intakes for fibre:

Women	Men	Children	Pregnancy
9-18 years 26g/day	9-13 years 31g/day	1-3 years 19g/day	28/day
19-50 years 25g/day	14-50 years 28g/day	4-8 years 25g/day	Lactation 29g/day
51 years and over  21g/day	51 years and over 30g/day	Infants n/a

References: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/reference/table/ref_macronutr_tbl-eng.php

An empty belly is the best cook

I love this website and visit it often as there are tons of wonderful recipes with yummy photos.  Fellow food lovers list reviews and suggest recommendations. Try a recipe and let me know how it turns out!

http://www.allrecipes.com/

Holiday Gift Ideas

With the holidays just around the corner and this being my first post, I thought I'd keep it light.

Every year, I plan to purchase my Christmas gifts far in advance, but low and behold it never happens. I made a vow that this year would be different and I began searching the Internet for gift ideas.

If you are looking for something unique, here are a few websites that you may enjoy. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share them with us.

National Geographic - Genographic Project
Are you interested in where you come from or how you got to where you are today? Discover your deep ancestry by purchasing a kit and tracking your genetic lineage.
https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/lan/en/index.htm

Grassroots has a variety of environmental products. Check em' out!
When you spend over $99 Canadian before taxes by midnight on December 15th, 2010, ground shipping is free in Canada (or check out one of their 2 convenient locations in Toronto - The Annex & Riverdale). www.grassroots.com

Shop Foxy Originals for fun and stylish locally made jewellery. Celebrity fans include Lauren Conrad, Megan Fox, Sienna Miller, Paris Hilton, Nelly Furtado + more. (Free shipping on all orders over $75 in North America or stop by one of their local retailers).
www.foxyorginals.com

Why not give a gift that keeps on giving. Are you tired of giving socks and bath salts? Oxfam Unwrapped is a unique collection of gift ideas that help you give something special to your friends or family and give something extra special to people who haven't got much at all. Check out Oxfam Unwrapped at: http://www.oxfam.ca/what-you-can-do/make-a-donation/oxfam-unwrapped

Treehugger strives to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions and product information. They feature a wonderful holiday gift guide with lots of neat ideas. http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/?campaign=th_nav_holidays

Name a star after your loved one. Here is one website I came across https://www.starregistry.ca/home/index.html

Try That has assembled unforgettable experiences across Canada for you to enjoy. Packages range from dog sledding to a romantic sleigh ride to flying or wakeboarding lessons to an intimate dinner for two. http://www.trythat.ca/

Discover cooking classes at the LCBO. Prices range from $50-225. Learn how to cook dumplings, pasta, vegetarian fare, tapas, curries, sushi and much more. http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses.shtml

Instead of using paper for a photo album why not try making your own book (or calendar) to share your memories with others. http://www.blurb.com/

Let me know you stopped by and feel free to share your holiday gift ideas with us :)

Happy gift shopping!