In Search of Protein

One of the first things we discovered when we started analyzing our food intake was that our proportions of macronutrients - carbs, fat and protein - were out of tune with where we wanted to be.

To meet our goals, we need to reverse the percentages of fats and protein in our diet, and that has been the most difficult thing so far. That's not to say we haven't been having some success, but trying to fit in about 1 gram of protein per pound of weight can be a pretty difficult task. Good thing there are lots of resources all over the internet that identify high sources of protein - we have a list hanging in the kitchen that has become the go-to for meal inspiration.

One of our favourite easy to make high protein dishes is my Bean Salad. This is a slight modification to the standard Three-Bean Salad, with more legumes and a much higher protein level.

Bean Salad

1 cup Red Kidney Beans (raw)
2/3 cup Baby Lima Beans (raw)
2/3 cup Pinto Beans (raw)
1 cup Green Beans, raw or frozen, cut to bite sized pieces
1/2 to 3/4 Yellow Onion, diced but not too fine

Soak the kidney beans, lima beans and pinto beans in separate bowls for about 20 minutes. To cook, transfer into pots (I put the lima and pinto beans together in one), fill to cover the beans with at least an extra inch or so of water and turn the heat to medium. Bring them to a boil slowly and try not to let the water boil too rapidly or some of the outside skin will come off of the beans. Cook for about an hour or until the beans are tender but not too soft, checking to see if you need to add any water. At the same time, cook the green beans until tender.

In a large bowl, mix all the drained beans with the onion. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in this simple vinaigrette dressing:

1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/2 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Sugar
A few twists of pepper from the grinder

The easiest way to make this dressing is to use an empty jam jar or a small Tupperware or similar container with a tight lid. Pour everything in, close the lid and shake, shake, shake for a minute or two, until you see that the dressing has come together and looks a little pale yellow and creamy.
Pour the dressing over the beans while they are still warm and mix everything together.

The recipe makes about 12 half-cup servings. This salad seems to get better the longer it sits in the fridge, especially if the dressing is stirred through whenever you take anything out of the bowl.

Nutritional Value per 1/2 cup serving:
232 Calories, 5.4 grams Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 560.1 mg Sodium, 36.3 grams Carbohydrates, 11.2 grams Protein

This salad makes a good addition to a sandwich at lunch or as a mid-afternoon snack if you feel a bit peckish. We never used to make bean salad of this type, but since I started with this recipe, we always have some available and are really enjoying it.

One of the other really good protein sources is chicken breast. Check out my next entry for an interesting way to cook chicken ahead of time and use it in various recipes.