One of the first questions that I am often asked when people find out that I am a vegetarian is: “How do you get enough protein?” A huge misconception in our society is that the majority of the protein an individual consumes must come from meat! This is far from being true. In actuality, protein is found in many vegetarian foods, and when it is found in plants it is in its healthiest form. Some great examples of where I get protein from include: beans, whole grains, nuts, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, meat substitutes, tofu, and veggies! Did you know that just one serving of green peas contains 5 grams of protein? I believe that starting the day out with a large serving of protein is important so I try my best to eat a protein-rich breakfast. I am a huge fan of Kashi GoLean cereal (this variety contains a whopping 13 grams of protein in one serving), but even I need a break from the routine of eating cereal every morning.
This past Friday I created a delicious breakfast using only a few ingredients. Not only was the breakfast fast and easy to make, but it packed 23 grams of protein into this yummy wrap:
Can you believe something so simple contains so much protein?
Ingredients
1 Flat Out whole wheat wrap
3-4 eggs
hot sauce
black pepper
1 Weight Watchers or Laughing Cow cheese wedge OR shredded part-skim cheese
1. Mix either 1 egg and 2 egg whites OR 4 eggwhites with a few dashes of hot sauce and black pepper.
2. Scramble the egg mixture over medium heat.
3. Spread cheese onto wrap and top with scrambled eggs.
4. Fold wrap and eat!
So simple, yet so delicious. When the hot eggs hit the cheese it immediately melts into a creamy, yummy taste of deliciousness! 😉
Need another protein-rich meal idea? If you made (or plan to make) the enchilada rice casserole recipe that I posted a few days ago, there is almost certainly one thing in your future: leftovers. Today I made a fast lunch using the leftovers and 4 additional ingredients.
Ingredients
1 serving of leftover enchilada rice casserole
4 eggwhites
hot sauce
black pepper
salsa of your choice
1. Mix eggwhites with hot sauce and black pepper.
2. Scramble eggwhites over medium heat.
3. Combine reheated enchilada rice casserole and scrambled eggwhites.
4. Top with salsa.
This is a great breakfast or lunch (my choice) option and a great way to use up any leftovers. Not to mention the fact that this dish contains about 25 grams of protein!
So simple, yet so delicious.
What are the main protein-rich food staples in your diet?
