My sister and I are trying to add more plant-based proteins into our diets.

[japple]

I have a real problem with digestion of soy-based foods (soy milk, yogurt, tofu) and am wondering if tempeh might be a better choice. I have read that since tempeh is already fermented, it is easier to digest. This is a whole new venture for me, but reading about how people in Asia (esp. Japan) are much healthier, esp. in their senior years, because of their diets, I'm thinking that we need to make some changes.

Shout out to yuiyoshida for posting about miso and other Asian cooking staples. I must admit that I'm stuck in a cooking rut and need to try something new.

[guillaumeb]

1. Do you eat beans and rice?

We do many dishes with these 2 in combination with other vegetables in a variety of sauces.

Pasta and tomato sauce is another excellent source.

[japple]

3. We eat a lot of beans and southern field peas and we grow several

varieties of field peas, which we freeze for use during the winter, spring. I know that beans and corn or brown rice make for a complete protein. Didn't know that about pasta and tomato sauce.

[guillaumeb]

6. We like to combine vegetables.

One great combination is black beans and corn with rice. A side of fried plantain goes well with that. Good luck exploring combinations.

[Warpy]

8. Only if the tomato sauce contains legumes

or something like a three bean salad is eaten with it. Otherwise, the protein is only what you get in the pasta, incomplete and mostly carbohydrate.

Research done when I was working at MIT 30 years ago showed that you could eat grains and legumes at different times of the day and still get full benefit from the combination, so carefully balancing them at each meal is not really necessary. Just realize if you have spaghtetti with plain tomato sauce for lunch, you're going to need some beans for supper.

[guillaumeb]

11. We eat ours will soy protein added.

We make meatballs. But if one is intolerant of or sensitive to soy that would be a problem.

[Warpy]

12. You can use other legumes

and mix legumes and ground seitan, maybe throw a little bulgur wheat into it for "bite." I usually did clean out the fridge tomato sauce and served a very beany antipasto.

[guillaumeb]

13. This mixture for the meatballs?

We have never tried seitan.

[Warpy]

14. Yes. Seitan is very versatile stuff. I made my own

back in my veg days, but you can buy premade seitan these days. Sliced thin in stir friees, it will fool meat eaters.

[guillaumeb]

15. Thank you for the information. eom

[physioex]

2. Lentils, Chick Peas.....

You can get them at an Indian grocery store at a bargain!

[CrispyQ]

4. Hop on over to DU's Vegetarian/Vegan forum.

We have lots of advice about tofu/tempeh/plant based diets, there!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1131

[Warpy]

5. You can try. Protein exists in all plant foods, they can't exist without it

The problem is getting enough concentrated protein with the right balance of amino acids.

Pairing grains and legumes is an easy way. Seasoning with seeds and nuts helps the whole enterprise.

If your problem with soy products is gas, you can use Beano short term. Your intestinal flora will adjust long term and you'll have no problem digesting legumes including soy.

A good general veg cookbook will help you out tremendously, like Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." His approach gives recipes followed by variations.

Don't expect a dietary change to work miracles. Those old folks in Asia have another thing in common: an active lifestyle with lots of walking in hilly country.

[unblock]

7. have you tried "beyond meat"?

when mrs. unblock and i first gave up meat (we're pescatarians -- we still eat fish), i was not a fan of fake meats. the taste and quality at that time just wasn't there. but we've tried this stuff more recently and it's surprisingly good.

check the ingredients, some of them don't have soybeans at all, some of them do but only as "soy protein isolate"; don't know if that's and issue for you.

http://beyondmeat.com/products

[procon]

9. Have you tried non soy-based milks from nuts, rice, or oats?

Don't know about their use in cooking , but to drink, they are good tasting. Here in California, the rice-based horchata, a creamy milk-like beverage usually spiced with cinnamon, is available in most grocery stores, but you can easily make it from scratch to suit your own taste.

[Binkie The Clown]

10. Beans, Rice, Corn, even potatoes have plenty of protein for human needs.

Let a doctor explain it: