DIY veggie protein

in our on-going efforts to get healthier and make life more efficient, Fabian and i have created our own vegetable based protein powder/meal replacement. the idea started after i watched an interview with the founder of soylent, a liquid meal meant to replace food entirely. while i struggle daily with making creative, healthy and delicious meals i was skeptical about replacing all food with a man-made powder. i then looked into plant based protein powders sold on-line. some of them did claim to be organic and full of real food, only one had a broad spectrum of ingredients and was not available in mexico. so taking all this into consideration and with ingredients lists from all of the above, i took a trip to the grocery store to see what was available here. below is the recipe for 1 serving of our creation:

L-R: amaranth, cashew, adzuki, lentil, chia

Sasha and Fabian's veggie protein powder:

6 Tbsp of masa harina (corn flour)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1  Tbsp of amaranth flour
1 Tbsp ground adzuki beans
1 Tbsp ground lentils
1 Tbsp ground cashews
1 Tbsp ground sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp ground chia seeds
1 capsule of maca
1-2 Tbsp of nesquik or flavoring of your choice
2 pinches of sea salt

the seeds and beans i ground in a coffee grinder on the finest setting. the nuts work better in a blender because of the natural oils.

it nutty with a slight green flavor, but is actually a lot more pleasant that i anticipated. we now have a meal booster or meal replacement that is mostly organic and local and contains only what we want it t;, dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free and preservative-free. it also provides over 19g of protein per serving, comparable to many body building protein powders on the market but without the mystery ingredients.

• i made half a serving this morning and mixed it with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of yogurt.
• throw the powder in a ziplock bag, add some raw veggies and dip for a yummy easy lunch
• fabian is using it as a post work out protein boost
• and 1/2 servings for that midnight craving

Thinking about making your own? i would suggest starting with a healthy carb base: oats or corn or pea flour if you are aiming for strictly protein. then add a few healthy seeds: chia, amaranth, flax, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc. and then a healthy nut or two: cashews were on sale, but another recipe suggested almonds. at this point i checked the recipes nutritional content and noticed it was lacking in sodium (very necessary for the amount we sweat here during the summer) and so i added a few pinches of sea salt. of course there are other vitamins and minerals that are not covered completely in this recipe but for our purposes of meal booster, paired with raw fruit and veggies i think we got it mostly covered.

Here is the nutritional information for the recipe (not including the flavoring or the liquid you would mix it with):

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories:	472.9 kcal
Water	10.45 g
Carbohydrate* (59%)	68.51 g
Protein (14%)	19.39 g
Total Fat (27%)	15.5 g
Monounsaturated	2.59 g
Polyunsaturated	9.92 g
Saturated	1.94 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Dietary Fibre	22.45 g
Alcohol (0%)	0 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A	9.22 IU
Thiamin	0.79 mg
Riboflavin	0.37 mg
Niacin	4.26 mg
Pantothenic acid	1.53 mg
Vitamin B6	0.45 mg
Folate	237.45 mcg
Vitamin B12	0 mcg
Vitamin C	2.31 mg
Vitamin E	2.69 mg ATE
Minerals
Calcium	230.95 mg
Iron	7.36 mg
Magnesium	217.36 mg
Phosphorus	548.86 mg
Potassium	642.31 mg
Sodium	16.79 mg
Zinc	3.74 mg
Copper	0.77 mg