Protein powder

[NearlyVegan]

Yay or Nay?

If so which do you recommend?

I'm struggling to get enough protein and need to up my healthy fats so was thinking I could do this in one maybe with a shake of some sort.

[mrsjackrussell]

I use hemp protein powder in smoothies.

[littlepeas]

Form nutrition superblend - it's fantastic - I blend it up with almond milk and a frozen banana. It isn't just protein, it also has all the vitamins and minerals that are more difficult to get through a vegan diet (except omega 3).

[NearlyVegan]

I bugger I'm breastfeeding and it says it's not suitable I'm going to message form to ask why as it sounds exactly what I'm after.

Is hemp a brand or is it hemp based?

[LiliesAndChocolate]

@NearlyVegan why are you struggling to get your protein and how much are you after. The optimal amount for health is 0.8 gr/kg and of these 30gr should be eaten in one meal to preserve muscle and heart .
In my case however, because I have a high risk of cancer, I need to go lower at 0.6 gr which is 32 gr of protein a day, and this is easily done with lentils, tofu and some almonds.
And what do mean by needing to up your healthy fats?

You should be aware that your diet has little to do with the composition of your breastmilk. Your weight and BMi on the contrary will influence it. "In our study, we found that protein (total and true) and carbohydrate concentrations in human milk were significantly different, depending on the period of lactation. From the first to the sixth month of lactation, total and true protein concentrations significantly decreased. We did not find any relationships between the nutritional value of maternal daily food consumption and milk composition. Maternal BMI and adiposity were positively associated with the protein content of milk." from here www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213543/ jump to point 4,

So don't stress too much about protein or fats. If you are eating a plant-based diet and not a vegan junk diet you should be covered.

[mrsjackrussell]

Hi, this is the one I have. Yes it's just hemp. www.grapetree.co.uk/organic-hemp-protein-powder-500g

[NearlyVegan]

@LiliesAndChocolate wow thorough reply thank you. I'm just doing MyFitnessPal have done for years I'm a very healthy weight and a runner so I understand nutrition to a degree. Iv always stuck to the higher protein lower carb side of veggie but recently gone vegan last 6 months. Iv none done the meat replacement stuff it gives me the creeps always has. Iv noticed my protein is low, fat is low carbs are a little low too also my calcium.

Just don't want to effect my energy levels. I do eat a lot of fresh vegetables always have. Will need to try tofu and maybe just some nuts a day. I take oat milk.

[LiliesAndChocolate]

@NearlyVegan

I am not a big fan of MFP because to them 100 cal of doritos have the same value of 100 cal of walnuts but when you go into the micronutrients, fibre, antioxidants, omega 3 and so on it just makes no sense.

It is so very important to avoid becoming malnourished so it is very good thing you are looking for answers.

This is why I would recommend a nutrition book www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Vegan-Comprehensive-Reference-Plant-based/dp/1570672970/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&keywords=becoming%20vegan&qid=1555529928&sr=8-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 .

You can find some very long interview of Brenda Davis on youtube filmed at conferences

Not all veggies are make equals, and some might be high in calcium on paper but this is not available to human so their real calcium-content for us is almost non-existent . A good example is spinach, very high in calcium but only 5% of it can be absorbed and the 95% will be taken away by the oxalic acid and end up in your toilet bowl next time you do a poo.

A lot of vegan are extremely malnourished to the extend to die of heart attacks because they ignore the omega 3 and taking a pill doesn't work, so you need your flaxseeds, walnuts, avocado.
Listen to this conference
But again, careful because too much omega 3 is dangerous, so maximum 2 table spoons flaxseeds.

You need to get your micronutrients from the food. More and more studies are published every week about how a vitD pills raises the vitD in your blood but doesn't give you the protective effect of the natural vitamin D, the same with calcium (here it is even worse, they cause precancerous polyps in the colon) , and so on.

Try to get all the nutrients, micro and macro from the food, including vit B12 from nutritional yeast and a great variety of vegetables. try to eat 3 or 4 different vegetables every day, so in a week you have had at least 20 different veggies in your plate. It sounds undoable, but is actually a lot easier than you think. Visit a Chinese supermarket, and you will see so many different types of bok choi and other Chinese broccoli. I buy a lot of my tofu in the Chinese shops as I like the very hard type and there I can find the Taiwanese . I can guide you on how to buy and prepare tofu (think of tofu as a blank canvas, and imagine the difference between the white canvas and the Mona lisa) . Never buy the soft or silken one unless you are doing a cream or sauce!

Being vegan without tofu/tempeh/seitan is going to be hard and you will then need a lot of lentils, chickpeas and beans. Do consider nut butters, but only the 100% one not the nuts+oil+sugar. In the morning, sometimes, I have spelt bread with peanut butter and cubes of papaya .

Once you go with a fine comb into nutrition, you realise it takes a lot of planning to get everything from food. You can't waste morsels to crap. A friend of mine is a fifty-shades-of-beige vegan and will have rice crackers, chips, coconut yoghurt and so on. She puts the focus on what she doesn't eat (animal) rather than what she eats. She is then tired and eats vegan chocolate to get energy.

[NearlyVegan]

I eat vegetables with every meal and a huge selection, I do need to get more leafy green veg but I do eat a lot of broccoli and spinach. I tend to have chunky home made veg soup with beans and lentils every day. Then roast vegetables and some brown rice or cous cous. I make my own bread most days. I'm also on a waiting list for some allotment space so hopefully il start to be able to grow some more interesting veg.

I will get some linseed and nutritional yeast.

Yeah not great I'd feel absolutely disgusting eating just that and my digestive system would be at a stand still.

Is there a good sietan I can buy instead of making it?

Please any good firm tofu recipes and preparation info would be greatly appreciated.

[ZazieTheBruce]

I make this one into a breakfast smoothie with avocado, banana, spinach and plant mylk/coconut water with tahini or nut butter. Sometimes I add some cacao or berries.

[NearlyVegan]

@ZazieTheBruce @mrsjackrussell they both sound great too. I do think i will supplement my diet with something like this as it can't do any harm. I do fully agree with you @LiliesAndChocolate though that what you actually eat is the most important thing.

[LiliesAndChocolate]

@NearlyVegan For tofu, you need to buy the firm (sometime called hard) or extra firm (extra hard ) type.
Open the packet, ditch the water, and wrap the tofu in several layer of kitchen paper and press hard with your hand on every side to squeeze the water without breaking the bloc.
Look also for the smocked tofu type or in any supermarket for the season one. I really like the honey-soy type.

But let's start with the plain tofu and what to die with it.

In a rectangular tupperware, prepare the marinade: 2 tb extra virgin olive oil, 6 tb soy sauce and 1 teaspoon miso. Mix well. Cut the tofu in slices a bit smaller than a cm and lay them in the marinade. You will probably have several layers, but just move the box a bit to have an even distribution. Keep in the fridge.

I like it like that straight out of the box, but you can cut it into fingers, cube and sauté in a pan.
Tofu comes very well in the oven. Take the marinated tofu and cut the slices into fingers. In a food processor, been 1 cup almond, 1 tb smocked paprika, 1 tb onion powder and some mixed herbs. Coat the tofu fingers in the almonds crumbs, and put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once

Oven is great to prepare tofu mince. Take a plain bloc, squeeze water, set aside. In a big bowl , mix 2 tb olive oil, 1 tb smoked paprika, 4 tb soy sauce , 1 teaspoon smoke flavour , 2 tb nutritional yeast, mix and then crumble the tofu into the mixture using your fingers or a fork. Uneven pieces are fine. Once well coated, put baking paper on a tray and spread the tofu as much as you can and cook in oven for 20 min or until dry. Use in bolognese instead of meat.

I buy ready made seitan, but honestly I eat it once a year, I tend to eat far more tempeh as it is healthier for gut bacteria.

[kikisparks]

My husband uses vivolife protein:

www.vivolife.co.uk/