Hello everyone! Happy Saturday! Wishing you all a great weekend!
I'm excited that I will be posting more often over here! It feels so good to be able to express my full ideas.
Before I give you this incredible #recipe, I want to talk about #vegan and vegetarian diets. The french toasts are vegetarian (since I included greek yogurt as part of the filling) and to be quite honest I was a little skeptical since I thought they were not going to come out right without eggs. Still, I was recipe testing but I was surprised to see how yummy they turned out.
I know that vegan diets tend to be seen as very restrictive and extreme. In my previous mindset I would think that you wouldn't be able to get all the nutrients from your diet (which some you do need to get them through dietary supplements). But in one of my nutrition classes in Houston I learned so much from them in detail. Sure eliminating all of your animal protein sources can feel difficult and you're probably thinking that you will starve all day. But I guess the issue here is that we tend to underestimate the nutrition value in plant-based protein sources.
I want to clarify that with this post I'm not promoting everyone to get on board with a vegan diet. I just want to clarify some myths that tend to pop up every now and then regarding this dietary approach.
Myth #1: People who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet usually don't get enough protein.
Fact #1: This is in fact false! I know protein is immediately associated with beef, poultry or fish. But I've mentioned in previous posts on Instagram that there are many plant-based proteins like: chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, etc. There are complete and incomplete plant-based proteins, which means that the complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids in their composition while the incomplete proteins lack some essential amino acids in their composition.
Myth #2: If I don't eat dairy products I will be lacking the calcium I need for strong bones.
Fact #2: Actually, there are several other foods that are rich in calcium that are not dairy products. We can find calcium in foods like: leafy greens (kale, spinach), broccoli, tofu, fortified beverages like orange juice, almond or soy milk. Also, weight-bearing exercises help aid in your bone health.
Myth #3: Every product that is vegan or vegetarian is "healthy"
Fact #3: This is not true either. When we're buying products in the grocery store and we're not sure if we should buy them, checking the nutrition facts label is always the answer. We can notice certain things like: ingredient list, grams of fiber, grams of added sugars, etc. That way we can make an informed decision.
Vegan or vegetarian diets can be nourishing and fulfilling but if someone is trying to switch to these dietary approaches, should be guided by a dietitian since a lot of education and planning should be involved in order to learn how to build a nourishing meal with plant-based sources. Some micronutrients have to be obtained from dietary supplements like many of the B complex vitamins since they are found primarily in animal sources. Also, including more plant-based foods come with many health benefits since they are rich in antioxidants, fiber and micronutrients that we can't find in animal sources.
In my own personal opinion, I believe that variety is key! I love eating animal proteins sources but I do enjoy plant-based meals too! Finding this variety in your diet can help you obtain the majority of your necessary nutrients and avoid any deficiency.
Hope you enjoyed this topic and hopefully solved some questions about vegan/vegetarian diets.
Now, comes the yummy #recipe! I promise you will love it!
Ingredients:
2 slices of sourdough bread*
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)**
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons greek yogurt***
3 tablespoons berry chia jam
Avocado oil
Method:
In a bowl mix the flaxseed and water, let it thicken up
Meanwhile, combine the almond milk, cinnamon and ginger
When the flax egg is ready, incorporate it in the other bowl and mix well
Place one slice of sourdough bread in the bowl with almond milk and flax egg. Make sure the slice is well coated.
Then, place it in a skillet with avocado oil. Repeat the same process with the other slice.
Flip them and when they're well cooked on both sides add the yogurt on one slice and the jam on the other
Place one slice on top of the other one to make a sandwich. Make sure each slice gets well cooked and crispy
Serve with your fave fruit, syrup or instead of syrup you can add peanut butter
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
*Feel free to use the bread that you have and like the most. I typically use sourdough bread since it's my favorite and the added benefits of incorporating some probiotics
**If you don't want to prepare them with a flax egg, feel free to substitute it with an egg
***If you can't tolerate dairy foods, feel free to substitute with a dairy free yogurt
Products I used for the recipe:
Комментарии