I'm hypoglycemic pre-diabetic. I also have hypothyroidism & fibroids, so I've had to go off red meats & most dairy. So I'm always looking at alternate ways to balance & keep my protein levels up.
Quinoa is wonderful. It is the only grain that is a complete protein. It's dry, so it stores well. It has a bland, yet slightly nutty flavor. So it won't be tasteless, like rice, as it does have it's own taste. However, it can be mixed with a variety of flavorful sauces or spices. It's very versatile and can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It doesn't spike my blood sugar levels.
If you don't buy the kind in a box that has been pre-rinsed, make sure you rinse it really well before cooking to get rid of the bitter taste. I rinse it like I would rice, placing it in a pot, and rubbing it through my hands in the water. I do this three times, or rinsing until the water runs clear and nothing is coming off when I rub.
For breakfast, I have it with a little salt, butter, powdered milk & a little sugar. Other times of the day, I may also throw in dried or fresh fruit while cooking and some cinnamon. (I don't like to break my fast with sugary fruits in the morning.)
For lunch, I may make a cold quinoa salad with diced veggies, tossed in a vinaigrette.
For dinner, I use whatever sauce my entree is: chicken broth, or tomato sauce & cheese, or pesto, etc. The heartier & more flavorful the sauce, the better. My new favorite is with curry sauce & veggies. Just like rice or pasta, it's a hearty filler, taking on the flavor of the sauce. I also have it with just butter and grated Parmesan cheese.
For a high protein pasta, you can't beat
Barilla Plus Pasta. Yellow box, not blue. It is is the ONLY pasta I eat now as it is made specially to be high protein and low in carbs. Barilla Plus is made with chick peas & other high protein, fiber & Omega 3 ingredients. Yet it tastes like regular pasta.
It is a better choice for anyone who would still like to eat pasta, but not all the carbs. And it does NOT taste like boiled cardboard the way "whole wheat" pastas do.
You do have to cook it a bit longer than regular pasta.
You can check the chart for the ratio of protein, fiber & Omega 3's vs. other foods. It is higher than some meats:
Barilla Plus pasta. OR:
http://www.barillaus.com/PLUS_information.aspx
I like to have it as Sesame Noodles. Peanut butter, some sesame oil, soy sauce & some cayenne or hot sauce. It can be eaten cold or hot. It does not taste like peanut butter, as the sesame oil & soy changes the taste.
Sesame Noodles
1 tablespoon peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 pound thin spaghetti, (or any shape pasta) cooked, drained**
** I reserve 2 tablespoons of the hot pasta water to thin the sauce down, otherwise it's a thick glob.
Mix peanut butter, soy, cayenne, oil and sesame oil and pasta water together. Add noodles and toss to coat.
This can be made as a cold pasta. Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water for a couple minutes.
If you are not allergic to soy or have a thyroid problem, try this shelf stable brand of tofu. It does not have to be refrigerated or kept in water.
Mori-Nu tofu. It's comes in different firmness. It can be found at most health food stores. The firm is great as a substitute for egg salad with mayo and mustard mixed in. The firm or extra firm can be tossed in with a veggie stir-fry.
This tofu doesn't have to be cooked although it can be. Hot tofu scramble for breakfast if there are no eggs. Health food stores also have "tofu scramble" packets of seasonings, so it tastes like a spiced omelette. Tofu taco salad, (instead of meat.) Just season it with taco seasoning while heating.
My mom eats the soft, mixed with something as a pudding.
Soy is also made into other foods, soy cheese, I think tempeh, whatever that is. Soy hot dogs, without all the artificial ingredients in real hot dogs.
Look into whey protein powders. You can make smoothies & shakes out of them with soy milk. Trader Joes makes a good one as well as Designer (brand) Protein. Chocolate or vanilla flavor in either brand are good.
Almond milk has a very high protein content. In a similar way that olives are pressed for olive oil almonds can be pressed to make almond milk. It has a slightly nutty flavor, naturally. It tastes like the milk at the bottom of a bowl after eating Grape Nuts. So, it makes a perfect milk for cereal - if you want to give up dairy. I prefer the Pacific brand, vanilla flavor.
Beans are a source of protein. But they usually need to be eaten with a whole grain, some time during the day, as beans are not a complete protein by themselves.
I like the white cannellini beans. I think they are also called butter beans. Also red kidney beans. There are black beans, too. I toss any of them in a fresh salad. They can also be mashed into dips, or added to soups.
Chick peas, also called garbanzo beans, are also great in a salad, or made into hummus and scooped up with a whole wheat pita or a whole grain bread. (Complete protein combo right there. )
When I don't feel like mashing the chick peas in a food processor for hummus, I just add all the hummus spices & ingredients in to a bowl, add the can of chick peas WITH the juice and turn it into a chick pea side salad. Top with parsley for some green color.
If you don't want to give up dairy, there is of course eggs & cheese, Greek style yogurts, which are supposed to have a higher protein content.
Of course nuts are a source of protein.
