The Three Plant-Based Protein Amigos!
Although it’s more natural to get your plant proteins from lentils, there are three uber-high protein foods that are now easy to find in health stores and supermarkets. Let’s take a look at all three, if you’re a newbie!
Fermented tempeh is okay when cooked, but avoid unpasteurised fermented foods (or otherwise) for pregnancy/nursing, children or weak immunity. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets.
Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if kerbside does not recycle.
Tempeh – Tofu’s Groovy Cousin!
Tempeh is an Indonesian food made by fermenting organic soybeans (this brand does not use soybeans from rainforests). It’s then blended with water and a live culture, to produce a food that has more protein than tofu, and more fibre than brown bread.
You can freeze tempeh for up to 3 months, then chop it up to use in favourite recipes, without meat. Like tofu, it’s not flavoured, but most brands offer pre-marinated flavoured chunks that you can just throw in recipes.
Tempeh has a naturally nutty flavour, and lends well to punchy flavours like spices, chillies and garlic. The fermentation process means tempeh is often tolerated well by people with sensitive tummies. It’s also low in saturated fat (with no cholesterol) but also rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
Tiba Tempeh is a popular food brand sold in most groceries and supermarkets, of an Indonesian staple food that looks and tastes like meat (but isn’t) and ideal to ramp up your curries and stir-fries. The brand was created after tasting it while on holiday, and now sells nationwide.
To cook, just slice or dice the tempeh and pan-fry in a little oil to fry for around 5 minutes, until golden brown. You can alternatively coat it with a little oil, and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes.
Plant-Based Mince is ideal for your spaghetti bolognese, lasagne or chilli non carne!
Tiba Tempeh also offers pre-flavoured pieces like Chilli or Curry (ideal for stir-fries, tacos, wraps and salads).
Smoky BBQ Burgers can be cooked on the grill or BBQ, serve in a bun with salad & sauce)
Better Nature Organic Tempeh
Better Nature is a another popular brand, created by four friends. One is an Indonesian who even did a thesis on the benefits of tempeh, and the other three then got on board to offer their skills.
This company is planet-positive. This means that it has a very low carbon footprint (no ingredients are air-freighted), and is also ‘plastic-neutral’ meaning any plastic used (which can be recycled) is also offset. Plus it also uses profits to donate to a charity that uses tempeh to tackle malnutrition in Indonesia.
The plain tempeh is accompanied by marinated tempeh packs, great for stir-fries, salads & wraps. Choose from:
- BBQ
- Smoky
- Mediterranean
Tofoo (organic tofu from Yorkshire!)
Tofu has been eaten for thousands of years in the Far East. It’s made from from bean curd, and made in the same way as cheese (with ‘curds and whey’).
Japanese people have been eating tofu for thousands of years, and they are a lot healthier than us. Viva! has a good article by a nutritionist on the hormone debate and soya.
Firm tofu is chopped up to replace chicken in curries. Silken tofu (which looks like custard) is used for puddings. It has no taste, it just absorbs the flavours of whatever you marinate it with.
Saying you don’t like tofu, is like saying you don’t like cake flour (chef Sarah Kramer)
Oumph! is another good soy brand in stores. It’s Swedish and sources soy from Europe, rather than from South America.
Yorkshire-Made Seitan (wheat-meat)
Seitan is a ‘wheat meat’ that is very similar to meat in taste and texture. Choose from several flavours, including vegan pepperoni. Obviously it’s not for gluten-free diets.
