Should you eat plant-based protein? You betcha!

Plant-based foods contain important antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that benefit overall health.

Last month, I posted a recipe on my site that showed two ways to prepare tofu as a delicious alternative for those looking to eat less animal-sourced foods. You may wonder if there is anything else you can eat to reduce your consumption of animal-sourced foods, and in turn, leave less of a carbon footprint. Here are my top 6 go-to's. I eat these at least three times a week for lunch and once a week for dinner.

Veggie burgers – perfect for a quick weekend lunch, or to crumble on a salad for you to have at the office. My favorite? Dr. Praeger’s California burger which is minimally processed and you can actually see the veggies in it. Other favorites include: Dr. Praeger’s All-American burger, Blue Mango veggie burgers (locally made), Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy burger, or a Morning Star’s Chicken veggie burger. In addition, be sure to check out my website for a homemade black bean burger recipe.  https://lisaprincenutritionspecialist.com/healthy-recipe.

 My other go-to's are:

Lentils – My favorite way to enjoy lentils is to make lentil soup. You'll find an easy-to-make recipe for lentil soup on my website. Click the link above.

Black beans – Buy a can of no sodium added black beans, rinse, and serve on a salad or make black bean quesadillas. I posted a delicious recipe on my website (click the link above).  Black bean quesadillas are a quick and easy mid-week dinner. Serve with a green salad and ½ an avocado if you like.

Chickpeas – fabulous on a salad or in a veggie soup. I even eat them dried as a snack.

 Nuts – pour ¼ cup of lightly salted pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or pecans on your next salad. I recommend pistachios because they contain all 9 essential amino acids. They are also the highest protein snack nut. The serving size is 1 ounce about 49 pistachios.

Hemp seeds – great on a salad. Each 3 TB serving has 10 grams of filling protein for just 170 calories.

These are just a few of the plant-based proteins that you might consider. If you want more suggestions, or have questions, please email me at, Lisa@MaineWeightlossCoach.com. Let's chat!