Protein Pushin’

First of all- thank you thank you everyone for all of your kind compliments regarding my last blog post!  You really know how to boost my self-esteem!  I wasn’t sure if I should post a personal essay on this blog, as it’s not related to food, but I’m pretty happy I did it anyway.

Secondly- Sorry it’s been SO LONG since I’ve posted last.  This phase of chemo is kicking my a$$.  I am so tired all of the time.  I even had a little stint in the hospital a few weeks ago- you know, for old time’s sake.

But I feel like I’ve spent one day too many away from here and must get back to the food!  Which is a bit hard, as I’ve mostly been hiding in our air-conditioned bedroom for the last couple of weeks and have NO desire to go cook something up.  It’s days like these when I daydream about moving back home.  At least in the Finger Lakes, it gets cooler at night.  Can someone please call Harrisburg and tell them to TURN IT DOWN A NOTCH?!

Either my desire to eat bland foods has serendipitously coincided with this part of summer, or the heat itself is steering me away from anything the least bit exciting.  In the end, sticking to bland foods is normal enough in the chemo world.  We’re all looking for ways to increase our protein intake while not wanting to eat at all.  So today, I’ve decided to share my top five ways to feed those muscles without having to deal with lots of flavor.

1. Nutritional Yeast or “Nooch”:  If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you probably sprinkle this stuff on everything.  I love it on a bowl of popcorn with a drizzle of soy sauce or mixed into a hearty winter soup.  It has a cheesy, nutty flavor, but it’s mild enough that you can hide it in just about anything.  Unlike baking yeast, this stuff is deactivated and doesn’t need to be cooked.  You can even sprinkle it on toast with a bit of olive oil.
   The Push: One ounce gives you 7g of fiber and 14g of protein!
   Other benefits: Vitamin B12, all 9 amino acids that human bodies can’t produce, and a fair amount of iron.
2. Chickpeas: I’ve been a chickpea fan since I first developed teeth.  They’re so mild and comforting, and you can use them in a myriad of dishes.  I often just eat them hot with a dash of salt.  If you like hummus, try making it at home with a higher ratio of chickpeas to other ingredients.  It holds together better because of the thickness, which allows you to add a nice big serving into your next sandwich.
   The Push: One cup gives you 12g of fiber and 15g of protein!
   Other benefits: Lots of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus for bone health, and a banana’s worth of potassium.
3. Eggs: We’ve all seen the commercials.  We know what’s up with eggs.  I eat them almost every day for breakfast, usually on a tortilla with some salsa and low-fat Greek yogurt.  But they’re also super easy to add in other dishes to add more bulk to your diet.  I often crack an egg into my ramen before taking it off the stove.  You can also scramble them and add them to pasta dishes, throw them into homemade maki rolls (Korean-style), or crumble a few hard boiled ones into potato salad.
   The Push: One egg has 6g of protein.
   Other benefits: I can’t even list all of the great benefits.  So I’ll let Canada do the talking.  So many nutrients!  Most of them are in the yolk, though, so don’t skip out on that.  Besides, it’s the best part.
4. Greek yogurt: My favorite is Fage’s 2% plain yogurt.  It’s thick and creamy, and it can be eaten in so many dishes or on its own!  I sometimes mix it with some salsa for a quick dip or scoop it on whole wheat pancakes with some berry compote for a very satisfying breakfast.  You could also add a few scoops to your soup, adding protein and cooling it off at the same time.  Just don’t go for fat-free; it won’t fill you up, and it often has more sugar in it.
   The Push: One cup has 23g of protein.
   Other benefits: You can get 25% of your daily calcium needs from one cup!  Also, probiotics will help your digestive system stay on track.  For some reason, yogurt is allowed in neutropenic diets, but no other foods high in probiotics are.  I say take it!
5. Oatmeal: High in carbohydrates, protein, AND fiber, oatmeal is the breakfast (or lunch/dinner) of champions.  I often order this at the hospital.  If you leave the toppings out, it’s so easy to eat spoonful after spoonful of oatmeal, even when you’re nauseous.  In fact, I like to add some brown sugar when I am feeling a bit queasy; it helps settle my stomach.
   The Push: One cup has 6g of protein and 4g of fiber.  I eat about 1.5-2 cups when I’m very hungry.
   Other benefits:  One cup has 77% of your recommended iron intake.  And anyone have peripheral neuropathy?!  It also has 35% of your recommended Vitamin B-6 intake, too!  I know how much taking that little vitamin pill sucks.

MMMMM nooch on the popcorn! I popped this bowl in 1/2 chili oil and 1/2 toasted sesame oil, then topped it with nutritional yeast and a splash of soy sauce.

So there you have it!  Five ways to get all the protein you need without having to hide from those crippling kitchen aromas!