3 High-Protein Vegan Recipes From The Vegan Athlete’s Cookbook

Food Photography: Claire Winfield

The food industry has become obsessed with proteins in recent years and there are good reasons for that. It’s important for maintaining and building muscle mass and how fiber will keep you full longer than other macronutrients.

However, it’s not the be-all and end-all of what we were reminded of when we spoke to Anita Bean about her new sports nutrition recipe book, The Vegan Athlete’s Cookbook. Bean shared with us the evidence showing the performance benefits athletes get from a vegan diet that is due to higher plant nutrient intake and improved gut microbiome. Plus, if you know what you’re doing, you can get all of the protein you need from plants.

“It’s true that most plant-based foods are lower in protein than animal-based foods,” says Bean, “but I wrote the book to dispel the myths surrounding the vegan diet, including the fact that vegans don’t have enough protein too can take. The book shows people how to get enough protein with a plant-based diet. All of the main meal recipes in the book contain at least 20 grams of protein, the magic number that all athletes strive for. “

To get you started, Bean shared three recipes. Click the links to jump to each recipe.

1. Chickpea omelette
2. Spiced chickpea pilaff with almonds and coconut yogurt
3. Super shabby bars

Chickpea omelette

If you thought egg dishes like omelets weren’t on the menu with a vegan diet, think again! With a few adjustments, it is perfectly possible to recreate your favorite breakfast dish. This omelette is made from chickpea flour (grams), which is widely used in supermarkets. It’s a brilliant egg substitute for vegans because it’s high in protein, fiber, and iron. I filled the omelette with tomato and spinach, but you could add chopped red onions, mushrooms, red peppers, or peas.

Ingredients (for one person)

• 60g chickpea flour (grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛TL baking powder
• Pinch of turmeric
• Pinch of paprika
• Pinch of nutritional yeast flakes
• 125ml plant milk alternative (any variety)
• A small handful of chopped fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, or basil) or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

For the filling

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• A handful of baby spinach

To serve

• ½ small avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• Pinch of chilli flakes

method

1. In a bowl, stir together the gram flour, salt, baking powder, turmeric, paprika, yeast flakes and milk alternative until smooth. Add the herbs, stir and let rest for a few minutes.
2. In the meantime, make the filling: heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add the spinach, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. Wipe the pan and heat the remaining oil over medium heat. When it’s hot, pour the batter in and tilt the pan so that it spreads thinly on the bottom. Cook gently until the top solidifies and bubbles appear on the surface. Place the filling on one half of the omelette, then fold the other half over with a spatula. Press down with the spatula to seal it and cook for another minute.
4. Slide the omelette onto a plate and serve with avocado slices and a pinch of chilli flakes.

Nutritional value per serving: 463 calories | 20g protein | 22g fat (4g saturated fatty acids) | 40g carbohydrates (8g total sugar) | 11g of fiber

Spiced chickpea pilaff with almonds and coconut yogurt

This delicious combination of rice, chickpeas and almonds is an ideal pre-workout meal to support your workout. Chickpeas are nutritional powerhouses packed with carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium. They are the perfect dietary supplement to rice, compensate for the lack of essential amino acids and increase the overall protein quality. Carrots and butternut squash are both high in beta-carotene, while green peppers and peas are loaded with vitamin C. Almonds add extra protein, healthy fats, calcium, and vitamin E. Substitute for pecans or cashews if you prefer. If you don’t have all of the individual spices, use 2 tablespoons of mild curry paste instead.

Ingredients (for two people)

• 1 tbsp light olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ½ green or red peppers, pitted and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger root, grated
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 large carrot, diced
• ¼ butternut squash (approx. 250 g), peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 100g basmati rice
• 300ml hot vegetable stock or water
• 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 25g sultanas
• 75g frozen peas

To serve

• 25 g almonds, toasted and mashed
• Small handful of finely chopped mint
• 2 tbsp coconut yogurt alternative

method

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and sauté the onion and green peppers over low heat for five minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin and the remaining spices and cook for another minute.
2. Add vegetables and rice. Mix until the spices are covered, then add the vegetable stock or water, chickpeas and sultanas. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and vegetables are tender. Make sure the mixture does not boil dry; add additional water if necessary. Add the peas for the last three minutes of cooking.
3. Serve sprinkled with almonds and chopped mint and a spoonful of coconut yogurt alternative.

Nutritional value per serving: 652 calories | 23g protein | 18g fat (2g saturated) | 91 g carbohydrates (25 g total sugar) | 18g of fiber

Super seedy bars

I wanted to create a snack bar that delivers maximum nutrients and fantastic taste and here is the result: super-crunchy, crispy, nutty, heavenly bars with lots of fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, B vitamins, vitamins E, magnesium, iron and zinc. Nuts and seeds are real powerhouses of nutrients and therefore form the basis of these bars. They go wonderfully with dark chocolate, which has a strong polyphenolic punch. Perfect after exercising or whenever you want a nutritious treat.

Ingredients (makes eight bars)

• 125g mixed seeds (any combination of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and flax seeds)
• 100g mixed nuts (any combination of almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts and pecans), roughly chopped
• 25g ground flaxseed
• 25g oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 75ml gold, agave or maple syrup
• 50g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C / convection 160 ° C / gas mark 4. In the meantime, line a 900g loaf pan (18 x 6cm) with baking paper.
2. Put the seeds, nuts, flaxseeds, and oatmeal in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon and syrup and mix. Spoon into the prepared can. Press firmly, making sure that there are no gaps, and bake for about 30 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown, but not brown around the edges. Take out of the oven and press down again with a large spoon. Let cool down completely.
3. Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a microwaveable bowl, and heat on full power for two to three minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals, until almost melted. Stir again and let sit for a few moments until completely melted. Alternatively, place the chocolate pieces in a heat-resistant bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and heat until the chocolate begins to melt, then stir until completely melted. Drizzle over the cooled nut mixture.
4. Place the can in the freezer so that the chocolate sets. After cooling, cut into eight bars. They can be kept for up to seven days in an airtight container.

Nutritional value per bar: 266 calories | 8g protein | 18g fat (4g saturated fatty acids) | 16g carbohydrates (12g total sugar) | 4g of fiber

Recipes From The Vegan Athlete’s Cookbook: High Protein Recipes For Exercising, Relaxing And Performing By Anita Bean (Bloomsbury, £ 16.99). Out now

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/30/3-high-protein-vegan-recipes-from-the-vegan-athletes-cookbook/