But... do you get enough protein?

Powerful Protein

One of the biggest questions/worries/comments I get as a non-consumer of animal protein is... "Where do you get your protein? Do you get enough protein?" It's an old argument and one that isn't entirely accurate. You see... most North Americans get more than enough protein... but there is no need to hit 100 grams of protein/day. Actually... 50 grams of protein/day is enough for the average woman and 60 grams of protein/day for the average man. If you're an ultra-marathoner, you might need more... but that's not me...

 So... where do I get my protein? Let's look at an average meal plan:

Breakfast (standard)

• oatmeal (rolled oats) (1/2 cup dry) - 6 grams of protein
  
• walnuts (1 oz) - 6 grams of protein
• berries ( 1 cup) - 1 gram of protein
• cinnamon (1 tsp) - 0.1 grams of protein
• hemp hearts (1 Tbsp) - 4 grams of protein
• ground flax seed (1 Tbsp) - 1.3 grams of protein
• soy milk (1 cup) - 7 grams of protein
  
• baked beans (1/2 cup) - 6 grams of protein
  
• nutritional yeast (2 Tbsp) - 11 grams of protein

Let's see... 6+6+1+0.1+4+1.3+7+6+11= 42.4 grams of protein... just for breakfast.

Just to compare... scrambled eggs (3 eggs) and bacon (6 slices) have 13 grams of protein (and 0 grams fibre). Add two pancakes for another 5 grams of protein (and 0 grams of fibre). And a glass of 2% milk for 8 grams of protein (and 0 grams of fibre). We're even! Yay! But then... we'd have to talk sugars and saturated fats and... well... I don't think we want to go there today. You get the picture I think... Gram for gram... I can meet the protein requirements. And no... we don't supplement with protein powders... we don't need them. If ever we become marathoners... we'll supplement with protein powders...

Oh... and in case you're wondering... you've likely heard that animal proteins are considered "complete" proteins which means they have all the amino acids that we need. A one stop shop, so to speak. The terms "complete" and "incomplete "are a bit misleading though. Plant-based foods also contain all of the amino acids we require, just in slightly different proportions. All that means is that we need to eat a mixture of plant-based foods (not just rice and beans)... a varied diet... some legumes, some whole grains, some soy products, some nuts.

And no... soy products do not mess with your estrogen... that's another fallacy. Eating three servings of soy products/day (every day) is perfectly fine.

Another interesting tidbit... our bodies can only absorb 25 to 40 grams of protein at one sitting... so it's important to spread out our protein consumption. If we eat too much protein (like half a chicken - 80 grams of protein)... it gets stored as fat... and the excess amino acids get excreted...

Anyhow... back to my average daily meal plan...

Lunch (an example - the salad is standard... the "main" dish varies)

• salad
• dark leafy greens (2 cups) - 6 grams of protein
• tomatoes (100 grams) - 1 gram of protein
• cucumber (50 grams) - 0.4 grams of protein
• radishes (2 medium) - 0.2 grams of protein
• grapes (1/2 cup) - 0.2 grams of protein
• kohlrabi (1/4 cup) - 1 gram of protein
• red lentil curry on top of farro
• red lentils (1/2 cup cooked) - 9 grams of protein (protein powerhouse!)
• onions & tomatoes in curry - 0.5 grams (guesstimate)
• farro (1/2 cup cooked) - 4 grams of protein (better than rice - same as quinoa)

Let's tally up lunch - 6+1+0.4+0.2+0.2+1+9+0.5+4= 22.3 grams of protein

So... let's see... that's... 64.7 grams of protein for breakfast and lunch. Boom... mic drop.

Protein for an herbivore ain't a problem if... IF... you eat a whole food, plant based diet. Toss in a bunch of white bread and pizza dough and potatoes instead of the oatmeal, soy milk, beans, nutritional yeast, dark leafy greens, lentils and farro and... the protein falls through the floor.

Fabulous Fibre

The bigger issue is Fibre... Our daily fibre requirement is in the neighbourhood of 30 grams/day... from food... not from supplements. The average North American gets 15 grams of fibre per day... and over 97% of Americans do NOT get enough fibre.

Let's bee clear... meat/fish/dairy/eggs have a great big whopping 0 for fibre. We're not talking about muscle fibres... those are not dietary fibre.

Fibre comes from plants... it's what allows plants to defy gravity and hold their shape. And our gut biomes love fibre, both the soluble and the insoluble types, and if you want anything... you want to keep your little gut biome happy...

Sooo... how does my breakfast and lunch stack up in the fibre department?

Breakfast (standard)

• oatmeal (rolled oats) (1/2 cup dry) - 4 grams of fibre
  
• walnuts (1 oz) - 2 grams of fibre
• berries ( 1 cup) - 3.6 grams of fibre
• cinnamon (1 tsp) - 1.4 grams of fibre
• hemp seed (1 Tbsp) - 0.4 grams of fibre
• ground flax seed (1 Tbsp) - 1.9 grams of fibre
  
• soy milk (1 cup) 1.5 grams of fibre
  
• baked beans (1/2 cup) - 7 grams of fibre
• nutritional yeast (2 Tbsp) - 2.5 grams of fibre

Let's see... 4+2+3.6+1.4+0.4+1.9+1.5+7+2.5= 24.3 grams of fibre... just for breakfast.

Lunch (an example - the salad is standard... the "main" dish varies)

• salad
• dark leafy greens (2 cups) - 6 grams of fibre
• tomatoes (100 grams) - 1.5 grams of fibre
  
• cucumber (50 grams) - 0.2 grams of fibre
• radishes (2 medium) - 0.1 grams of fibre
  
• grapes (1/2 cup) - 0.2 grams of fibre
• kohlrabi (1/4 cup) - 2 grams of fibre
• red lentil curry on top of farro
• red lentils (1/2 cup) - 8 grams of fibre
  
• onions & tomatoes in curry - 0.5 grams of fibre (guesstimate)
• farro (1/2 cup) - 2.5 grams of fibre

Let's tally up lunch - 6+1.5+0.2+0.1+0.2+2+8+0.5+2.5=21 grams of fibre

So... that's 44.3 grams of fibre for breakfast and lunch.

And yes... we do eat our main meal at lunchtime. It dovetails better with the body's circadian rhythm. There's nothing worse than eating in the evening... particularly within four hours of bedtime.

So... what do we have for our evening meal? That varies. Some evenings, I'm just not hungry so I don't eat anything. Some evenings I'll have a few tablespoons of hummus with some veggie sticks (peppers, carrots, cukes, kohlrabi). Some evenings I'll have some peanut butter and mashed berries on top of a slice of pumpernickel style bread. All of which boosts my protein and fibre intake even more.

Sooo... a whole food, plant based diet more than ticks the boxes for protein and fibre. Still not convinced... look at a cow or a bison or a horse or a rhino or an elephant and ask yourself... these strong, muscular herbivores... where do they get their protein from?

Shroom Leather and... More...

Shroom leather shoe on shrooms
From Material District & sold for €583(!)
on Nat-2

Leather made from mushrooms? Wait... what? Yes, it's true. No longer do we need to kill animal to use their skins for shoes, handbags, wallets and jackets. No... now we can use mushrooms.

I really couldn't quite believe it... because on this journey of divesting myself of food and accoutrements that harm animals... I struggled with the whole leather shoes thing. They are just more comfortable, more resilient, more moldable than those plasticized shoes. And, if you get a really good pair of leather shoes, they can last a decade or more. Sigh, I still miss my Mephistos... best shoes ever.

Now... I don't go through shoes like some people go through kleenex... when I find a pair of shoes that I like, I buy them and keep them. And I am not in competition with Imelda Marcos' closet. I have maybe 10 pairs of footwear:

1. Merrell hikers
2. Blundstone half-boots
3. Danish walking shoes
4. Columbia sport sandals
5. Winter boots from Mark's Work Wearhouse
6. Rubber boots for the garden
7. Crocs for the garden
   
8. water shoes

Huh... is that it? I should go check... nope, that's it... And, when one pair of shoes is nearing the edge of its lifespan, I go and buy myself an equally good pair of shoes. Same brand, same make if possible. My feet know what they like and... as I have learned... keep your feet happy and the rest of you will be happy as well. At least out hiking and walking.

Soooo... mushroom leather... what gives with that?

Cute mushrooms and their sub-surface
network of Mycellium

First, there is Mylo, a type of leather made from the mycellium of mushrooms, that's their underground network of threads that connects the larger mushroom organism. I guess I should mention that a mushroom is not just the fruiting body that you see on the surface of the group... your typical mushroom. Nope... there is way more going on underground than we can even imagine. And the mycellium acts as kind of a super highway underground, connecting trees and the wider sub-surface ecosystem. It's quite amazing. And they Mylo stuff, which they are careful not to call "leather", since it really isn't leather, which is made from animal hides, grows in a matter of weeks and uses way less water (for example) than growing a cow would. Waaayyy more eco-friendly.

Then, we have Muskin, also made from mushrooms, but the cap of the Phellinus ellipsoideus mushroom, an inedible shroom native to subtropical forests. Same idea... same shroom leather idea... Apparently they have also tried making leathers out of pineapple and apple scraps. Go figure.

So, I guess the question is... how do we make our voices heard to demand a switch from animal leather to shroom leather? And, yes, I know that animal hides are a byproduct of the meat industry soooo.... maybe we need to ease up one the meat consumption first... thereby reducing the supply of animal hides... thereby creating space and demand for shroom leathers. Makes sense to me. 

OK... so ready to have your mind blown?? Take a look at this picture... Nice looking steak, eh? Looks like a steak, smells like steak, feels like a steak, chews like a steak and... tastes like a steak... BUT...

A Meati steak

Is NOT a steak! Nope. Not a steak. I know... I am drooling too... but this is made from Mycellium. Yep... shroom meat... in this case, a company called Meati. Mycellium for this steak grows overnight... Read more on the Meati website... And... it comes as beef and chicken varieties too... No artificial ingredients. No GMO. And... is high in fibre (that's good) and a protein as well. What's not to like about this? Alas... so far, Meati is only available in Colorado... have to be patient... The Mycellium grows in fermentation vats overnight and the amount of Meati that can be produced is way, way more efficient than livestock farming. Meet Mycellium Meati... it's the wave of the future folks...

Now... we just have to wait for the prices to come down...

Fast Company has a nice overview article of Mushroom Leather

Fast Company also has a nice overview of Meati

Film - Vegan 2019

Why go plant-based and animal protein free? So many reasons... some of which you may know... and some of which you may not. The film Vegan 2019 (on YouTube) offers a 51 minute summary of why...

The first bit looks at meat-substitute products like Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat which are going after the > 1 trillion dollar meat industry. There is quite a bit about how meat-free options are exploding into the market - from fast-food to corner stores to grocery stores to restaurants. The thing that kept coming to me is this... processed food... be it vegan or not... is not good for you. And... watch long enough and the film brings that forward as well. While processed vegan might be less harmful than processed non-vegan... it still can be harmful.

And then the film touches on the shift in dietary and nutritional recommendations, specifically mentioning Canada's new food guide which eliminated dairy and focused on plant-based foods. Despite the move toward veganism, there is push-back from carnivores (calling vegans fascists). But, even that push-back has made us aware of where our meat comes from, and the price that is paid, not just be animals, but by the earth, to feed our meat addiction.

The film even has several clips about Great Thunberg and her fight against the climate crisis. She is passionate about this... and the point that is brought forward is that the time for talking and discussing is done. It's time for action.

The 2019 film, The Game Changers, opened the floodgates for all sorts of athletes, body builders, actors, musicians and other celebrities coming out as vegans. And, not surprisingly, there was push-back from livestock producers, trying to promote their meat as healthy (grass-fed beef). And yet... grass-feed beef has an even bigger environmental impact than factory farming. Producers also tried to challenge some of the language used... arguing that the veg industry should not be able to use the words like "burger" and "milk". In Australia, the meat industry even tried to make a case for not using the word "slaughter" with regards to animals. Instead, they wanted to just used the word "process"... that animals are processed into food products. Riiiighhhhttt... And all of that just made the meat industry look desperate.

And let's be really clear here... getting enough protein is NOT the issue. Herbivores get lots of protein from the plants that they eat. And so can we. Ever seen the muscles on a rhino? They didn't get those by eating meat... but by eating plants. The bigger issue for the average North American is getting enough fibre. And fibre ONLY comes from plants... none from meat. And no... muscle fibre is NOT the fibre we are talking about.

The USDA dietary guidelines committee met to discuss the US food guidelines for 2020 and... the meat industry fought back... and all that does is lead to confusion. And then... in Europe... NFI developed a personalized diet which helped patients integrate plant-based nutrition and reversed Type 2 diabetes.

The film then looks at Fair Oak Farms which was like the Disneyland of agricultural farming. The film saw millions of people tour the farm and then... in 2019... abuse at the farm was exposed by an undercover animal rights group. Livestock farming is not a happy Disneyland experience... they are horrific, abusive places where sentient beings are tortured and slaughtered.

The year 2019 was also a huge year for fires, not only in Australia, but also in Brazil. Deforestation is a major problem and all of it to create farms to raise cows for people to eat. Many of the fires in the Amazon are set deliberately by cattle farmers... The thing to recall is... we are all in a burning building. 

Can we change fast enough though?

I found this film to be pretty good, even if there were short ads every 10 minutes. The world is changing and this gave me hope that we can make a difference, each one of us. The future is plant-based whole-foods... and, having been a rabid carnivore, I am continually surprised at how easy the transition was... if I can do it... anyone can do it...

The Great 2020 Meat Give-away

We gave away all of the meat in our freezer yesterday. We had been holding onto it during the height of Covid-19, just in case, you know, the entire society collapsed and we ran out of beans and needed to trade meat for canned tomatoes, or something. But... the meat is getting a bit old in there now (+6 months) soooo... it's time to let it go.

I never thought it would come to this. We have been holding to a whole food plant based eating plan (not a diet) for the last 6 months and... it's been going remarkably well. Far better than I had expected. As a dyed in the wool carnivore... I didn't expect it to be this easy but... it has been. Oh sure, we have our slip-ups... like milk chocolate. Trying to avoid all animal protein products can be a bit of a challenge - and yes, that includes, eggs, dairy and fish. For example, we are currently using up the last mayonnaise jar in our fridge. It seemed a waste to just toss it... and so we use it up. But we won't buy any more egg-based mayonnaise once this jar is done. But we haven't  slipped up elsewhere - no meat, no fish, no cheese, no milk, no yogurt. We're still alive and it seems unlikely we are going to return to the carnivore/omnivore camp soo... it was time to let go of the meat.

We asked a senior couple if they would like to have our meat and they leapt at the opportunity. So yesterday, they cam over with a small cooler... not quite big enough for what we had in the little freezer. Luckily, they were headed straight home after their shopping bonanza so a rubbermaid tote with blankets served as a substitute cooler. What did they leave with?

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 double rack of baby back ribs
• 1 salmon
• 2 fillet of sole
• 10 zip-loc bags with two chicken breasts in each bag
• 6 packages of sausages
• 2 packages of bacon
• 4 burger patties
• 1/2 bag of prawns
• 2 shoulder blade roasts
• 4 pork tenderloin

And, voila, our little freezer was almost empty! Which is a good thing because... it's raspberry season.... and blackberry season isn't far behind. In a good year, we can have quite a haul of frozen berries in our freezer... Not to mention the fall harvest of apples cooked into apple sauce. Oh sure, we could can the apple sauce but sometimes... it's just easier to freeze it.

Soo... win-win situation - our meat went to a good home and we now have freezer space for food items more suited to our plant based palate.

A Carnivore's Epiphany on the Road to Hanoi

My Carnivore Pedigree
I have long been a happy carnivore. For as long as I can remember, I have loved meat, with a few notable exceptions...

German delicacy - Rohes Hackfleisch on bread

When I was growing up, my Mom believed in trying to expand the culinary palate of her children (my sister and I). We were introduced to such enticing delicacies as liver and onions, kidney with gravy, blood sausage (the one with big chunks of fat in it) and rohes Hackfleisch (a German dish similar to steak tartare).

The only way my sister and I could choke down the blood sausage was to plug our noses as we chewed, thereby muting the olfactory sensations. I still shiver with revulsion when I see pictures of blood sausage.

Which may seem kind of odd when you learn that I also have a long-standing love affair with rohes Hackfleisch - raw ground meat (pork/beef) mixed with an egg, diced onions and spices. Mix well and spread liberally on a piece of rye bread - like, a half inch thick at least. I am drooling even as I write this. Obviously, I also like my steak rare - even blue rare. No pieces of over-cooked shoe leather for me. When I was a kid, I would even sneak cubes of raw beef as my Mom was preparing a stew... oh yum! Times are different now... sigh... mad cow disease, E. coli, Salmonella... raw meat and/or eggs are not for the faint of heart. The last time I had rohes Hackfleisch was in 2010 at a hotel in Vechta, Germany. They had a breakfast buffet and miracle of miracles... they had it! For breakfast, no less! I think I may have pigged out a bit...

Tippi and 5-year old me

Soooo... my carnivore pedigree is impeccable. And I have never really questioned it. Even when my wanna-be-vegetarian partner and I got together 12 years ago... my carnivorous ways ensured that we always had a good supply of meat on our dinner plates.

The other thing you need to know about me is that I love animals. When I was a kid, I wanted to be variously: a rancher/farmer, a Fish & Wildlife officer or a veterinarian. I wanted to be around animals. I wanted to help animals.

We always had one pet or another when I was growing up - cats, dogs, gerbils, even a few rabbits. I loved them all, including our current cat, Minnie.

I had never questioned the odd juxtaposition of loving animals and eating animals. Until I went to Southeast Asia in 2013.

Road to Damascus/Hanoi
There's a story in the Bible about a Jew named Saul who was persecuting the early Christians. He heard there was a group of them in Damascus, jumped on his horse (there is some debate as to whether he rode or simply walked... but the horse is more dramatic) and set off to Damascus with a few of his buddies. Along the way, Saul was blinded by a bright light and knocked off his high horse. A voice spoke, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Saul asked, "Who are you Lord?" The voice said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Saul was left blind after this little encounter and was led to Damascus by his friends. After a few days, he met with one of the Damascus Christians who prayed over Saul and... "something like scales fell from Saul's eyes" and he could see again.

That little vignette is Saul's moment of conversion. After that, he changes his name to Paul and becomes one of the biggest Christians ever.

I'd like to say my epiphany was so clean, but it wasn't. In April 2013, my partner and I traveled to southeast Asia for four months. We visited Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and then spent two months traveling from the south of Vietnam to the north. It was an amazing trip and the food in Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam was to die for. But somewhere in Thailand or Cambodia... I started noticing flat bed trucks load with cages of dogs. All sorts of dogs... poodles, retrievers, mutts of all kinds. We heard rumours of dog thieves... sneaking into backyards and stealing family pets. For what purpose? Rumour had it that they were being shipped to the dog meat markets in China and northern Vietnam.

Sign advertising Dog and Cat meat
(Hanoi - from Lazy Travel Blog)

Did I know that some Asians ate dog meat? Maybe... but even in Thailand, it didn't really sink in. Even seeing these poor dogs crammed into cages - usually more than one in a cage... it didn't really register.

It started to sink in on the road to Hanoi in northern Vietnam. I started noticing sandwich board signs along the roads advertising Chó and Mèo. These were signs for restaurants offering meals containing dog and cat meat. My stomach churned. Don't look. Don't see. Don't think. Don't feel. But something once seen can't be unseen.

I learned that it's not as simple as killing a dog humanely and using the meat. No. Fine connoisseurs of dog meat believe that the meat has a better flavour/efficacy when the animal is in a high state of anxiety when it is killed. The killings, and what goes before, are therefore... not humane. If you want to see pictures - google "dog meat markets" or "cat meat markets".

You are forewarned.

Oh, the Hypocrisy
And then it hit me. Here I was condemning the barbaric, inhumane practices associated with gathering, marketing, killing and eating dogs and cats. How was that any different from the barbaric, inhumane practices associated with gathering, marketing, killing and eating cows, pigs or chickens? Why did it revile me to think of someone eating dog or cat, or even horse. But a cow was OK?

I had come face to face with my own hypocrisy. As a lover of animals, how could I also be a consumer of animals? I struggled. I cried. I tried to justify that North America's animal rearing practices are "better". But I'd had read enough news from PETA and Mercy for Animals to know... our meat supply is not a humane system. My ostrich head was being yanked out of the sand. I had been knocked off of my high horse and the scales had fallen from my eyes.

Failed Vegetarian
We came back from southeast Asia and after much debate... went vegetarian. I tried to campaign for some meat in our diet... the scales grow back so fast, don't they... Maybe we could skip the beef and pork... and stick with chicken. Somehow it's better when the meat isn't a mammal? Or maybe we could have salmon. At least they're not air-breathing. Or something. Or maybe we just eat "happy chickens". You know, ethically sourced organic chickens from a high-end butcher.

My chicken friends - see little Boeckem in front?

The thing was... before we went to southeast Asia, we spent five months on Salt Spring island, renting a cottage. Our landlord lived next door and raised chickens, which had free run of our fenced backyard.

I made friends with one little black and white cutie. She was smaller than the rest of the flock and I started going into the yard, turning over rocks and boards and showing her the feast of worms and bugs underneath. She very quickly came running when I called her name - "Boeckem!". Even when I was chopping wood, I'd find big centipedes and beetles and grab them up (with gloves) and call her to the fence. She'd come running and I'd quickly feed her my treasures. I say, quickly, because the rest of the flock soon figured out that she was getting preferential treatment and would also come running!

My argument for limiting our meat consumption to "happy chickens" therefore ran into the question... would I eat my little friend Boeckem. Maybe not... but what about her flock mates? I'm not a complete naive fading violet. I've gone fishing and caught/killed/eaten my own catch. Could I also raise chickens/rabbits and then say goodbye to them and have them nourish me? Good question. At this point, most of us are so disconnected from our food sources, particularly meat, that we don't have to ask these questions. Perhaps if we did... thinks might be different.

Like I said... after much discussion... we decided to go vegetarian. My partner had started a new, high-pressure job and I was left to fend for myself in terms of meal planning. My partner loved rice and beans and curry... we we basically subsisted on that, and veggies, for twelve months. It got really old... really fast. My energy went down... I developed an iron deficiency. My memories of that Road to Hanoi moment faded... A year later... we went back to eating chicken. And then some pork slipped back in. And fish... and even the occasional steak and burger. Did I mention that the scales grow back really fast?

Over the last seven years... we have talked repeatedly about reducing our meat consumption. Not just for the animals... but for ourselves as well. A diet high in meat is not the healthiest diet. Think high cholesterol, increased risk of heart disease, etc. On top of that... I know that the amount of agricultural land devoted to animal production is huge. If some of that land were converted to growing plant-based food... it would be huge. I know that the Amazon rain forests are being cut down to create more land for animal production. I know that the Pacific salmon fishery is in danger of collapse. I know all this and yet... the inertia to keep doing what we are doing is huge. "Oh look, pork tenderloin is on sale - $5/package and you get two tenderloins in a package!! Smoking deal!!" In many ways, it is easier to maintain the status quo than to move in the direction of something else. Procrastination at its finest - fear of the unknown... uncertainty about how to do it - better to stay right here and not move an inch.

Meatless Monday saves energy
(it takes 11 times as much energy to produce the same amount
of animal-based protein as plant-based protein)

At the same time, it is hard to argue with the fact that reducing meat consumption is:

• better for my health
• better for the animals
• better for the planet

But... I love my meat... Argh! So, this is where Small Steps kicks in. I've heard of Meatless Mondays. It's one small step and we have been trying that since September. It's been working thanks to Mom's spinach pie recipe! We've recently upped our vegetarian meals to twice a week thanks to a lentil curry recipe. Every little bit helps...

I can see the writing on the wall... and I can taste my own hypocrisy. How can I claim to care about animals and the state of the planet when I still demand to be allowed the luxury of eating cheap factory-farmed meat? The production of which is completely at odds with what I profess to believe? A person can only live in that state for so long before it becomes untenable. We have reached that point... but that's another blog post or two.

How about you? Have you explored vegetarian options? Meatless Mondays? Gone full bore vegan? Tips, advice, thoughts, problems?