Vegetarian Awareness Month (part II)
In last week post I talked about how October is the Vegetarian Awareness Month and the benefits of including more veggies and plant-base ingredients to your diet.
I also promised you some nutrition recommendations for those who want to go vegetarian, even if it’s just for a day, a week or a month:
- Protein power. The old belief is that if you don’t eat meat or fish you won’t get enough protein to sustain a nutritious diet. Wrong, there are tons of vegetarian substitutions. Complete vegetarian proteins are eggs, dairy products, soy beans (tofu, tempeh), quinoa or amaranth. But beans, peas or lentils are also good options, just combine them during the day to get all essential amino acids needed.
- Iron is a mineral to care for. It is responsable for carrying oxygen in our red globe cells and transporting it to our organs. Not having enough iron can cause fatigue, weakness and dizziness. Meat is a good source of iron but can also be found in cereals, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and leafy greens. Remember vitamin C helps with the iron absorption so combine your iron source ingredient with some vitamin C source.
- Vegetarians, specially vegans, can struggle with vitamin B12. Opt for eggs, nori algae, dairy products, fortified foods, supplementation or yeast extract. B12 deficiency can cause anemia, like iron deficiency, and neurological disorders.
- Calcium, leafy greens, broccoli, almonds, dairy products and fortified foods are good sources of calcium.
- Watch for animal hidden ingredient in foods. Always read the label and look for the vegetarian official logo. Mousses, jellies, sauces, yogurts and cheeses can have gelatin or other animal fats.
Now that you know all these facts, plan your meals in order to cover all nutritional requirements plus don’t forget the most important ingredients, love and care.
Today’s Turmeric Amaranth Soup is a great example of a super nutritional dish, it works perfectly like a main course or as a starter. It has a good mix of flavours, salty miso, sweet carrots and spicy ginger, a perfect balance to incorporate all the good things your body and your soul need.
This is the kind of soup I make myself when not feeling like cooking or like eating much. It’s super easy to make and super tasty. Amaranth gives you the protein and calcium you need for healthy muscles, bones and provides you of enough energy for your daily activity. Spinach is high in iron. Miso is a paste made from fermented soy helps to reduce digestive disorders. Turmeric and ginger are powerful antiviral and the best for boosting your immune system. It’s also my favourite soup when I’m with a cold or a flu, it really energize me and make me feel comfy.
Don’t forget to tag #healthyforkful on Instagram or leave a comment below, I would love to know what do you thing about it!
Delicious and superpower soup, loaded with turmeric and ginger is perfect for cold days or for those days when fighting the flu
- 1/2 onion thinly diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 carrots thinly diced
- 1/2 zucchini cut in half moons
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 teaspoon tomato concentrate
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 bay leave
- 2 spoonfuls amaranth seeds
- 1 handful baby spinach
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
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In a pot, heat a bit of olive oil and sauté diced onion for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
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Add carrots and sauté other 5 mins. Sprinkle turmeric, ginger and stir the miso paste and tomato concentrete. Add a couple of spoons of water and dissolve the miso paste.
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Incorporate 500ml of water (room temperature) and the bay leave and increase heat to maximum. When boiling, add amaranth, reduce heat to low and leave it simmer until amaranth is cooked, around 20 minutes.
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Add zucchini and baby spinach and cook for 5 minutes longer. You will see how the soup thinckens, that's for the amaranth, and the longer you leave it, the thicker will get.
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Serve immediately