Tag Archives: protein

Healthy Vegetarian Meatloaf

Fix It Plan’s Scrumptious Tempeh Meatloaf

Vegetarian Tempeh Meatloaf Dinner

There are a lot of good recipes out there for meatless meatloaf, but we particularly like this one because it has more bite to it–a real meaty texture.  Loaded with protein from tempeh and hemp seeds, deliciously seasoned with a tangy glaze, this is a favorite at our house.  And even the meat eaters enjoy it!

Tempeh is such a versatile food and often so misunderstood it seems.  While reaching for it in the refrigerator case at the store I’ve had people come up to me and ask what I do with it.  And when I tell them how good it is they look at me with disbelief!  I suppose it is rather unattractive in its sealed package, all pale and odd looking, naked and unadorned. Continue reading Healthy Vegetarian Meatloaf

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Traveling to see distant family and friends during the holidays, we were touched by the care everyone showed to make sure Bill ate heart healthy! — potentially challenging since he (and me!) are still eating mostly plant-based and are now also wheat free.

Butter beans and field peas from Uncle Ernest’s garden, a hearty bean soup made especially for Bill at my sister’s home, along with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables everywhere we went kept us well fed.  I carried along plenty of fresh baked Sylvia’s Ozark Cornbread making sure I had enough to share.  (I’m pretty sure I converted some Jiffy cornbread eaters to this heartier bread along the way.)

Everyone’s thoughtfulness gave the holidays an extra-special warmth and feelings of being loved.  What could be nicer than that?  Continue reading Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

“Feel my muscle.”

flexed bicep illustrationHow much protein do we need in our diet to be healthy?  To build muscle and stay strong?

I was troubled by this question for quite some time. I know protein is necessary for repairing and building muscle among other things, and part of our “Fix It” journey is to restore muscle strength and mass that has been lost with aging and being too sedentery.  I researched this question online, asked personal trainers and athletes I knew, and the bottom line was that everyone and every source had a different answer.  The responses would range from such a low number of grams per day I knew it couldn’t be right, to exorbitant numbers that didn’t seem right either.  Or worse, I’d get the blanket phrase “Americans consume too much protein so don’t worry about whether you’re getting enough protein or not.”  And often there didn’t seem to be any distinction between men and women, but it would seem likely that a woman’s protein needs might differ from that of a man, and also frame and weight would make a difference. Continue reading “Feel my muscle.”