I am always looking for a protein to be the main star of our meals. As I’m learning and educating myself more and more about nutrition and health (and on my way to becoming a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant!) I have found an interesting fact which I have mentioned in previous blog posts; the only way we can satisfy hunger, true hunger, is to feed that hunger protein and/or fat. So loading up on carbs will give us that full feeling, but we’ll still be hungry soon after! We need some protein in our meals along with some healthy fats in our diets! That’s not to say Carbs are the enemy however! We also definitely need carbs, Good Carbs, Complex Carbohydrates! We need these complex carbs for energy; our brain’s first source of fuel is glucose… mostly coming from the breakdown of carbs. Our brain requires a significant amount of energy to function, twice as much as any other cell in your body. The harder you think and the more you concentrate, the more glucose your brain needs. Your body can supply this demand by metabolizing carbohydrates first. When glucose is available, because it is the easiest to metabolize, the body uses it first!
We need protein and complex carbs to help rebuild the muscles that were torn down during our Well-Fit workout or adventure! Muscle tissue needs amino acids from protein to repair and during our workout, the body’s glycogen stores were used as fuel. So when we eat carbs and protein after a workout, we’re replenishing our body’s glycogen and offering amino acids to help rebuild those muscles and prevent our body from depleting muscle after a workout (which defeats the purpose of our workout!). This helps build lean muscle mass and helps maintain muscle, so our body isn’t using muscle energy, it’s using carbs. It’s then using the protein to build muscle and keep us strong. And this in turn helps keep us lean and contributes to weight loss, as lean muscle mass burns body fat! So take a look at some examples of Good vs Bad carbs!
In this recipe here, we’re using some great Complex Carbohydrates from Quinoa to Lentils to Brussel Sprouts and Onions!
Sometimes my family and I are just not in the mood for meat or fish. It happens, not very often, but it does occur. So to make sure we’re not filling up with nonsense food or refined flours lacking nutrients, protein and healthy fat… and thus not satisfying our hunger, I turn to some great pasta that provides some plant-based protein and nutritious complex carbohydrates as we just discussed above! Ancient Harvest POW! Pasta is one of my go-to’s!
This pasta is made from simply Green Lentil Flour and Organic Quinoa Flour. Below is some really great info from timelessfood.com You can see it says “Skip the Paleo Diet” because on the Paleo diet, not just Lentils, but legumes and beans are a no-no. But… I don’t follow this strictly. I give Lentils the Green-light as they provide some great nutrients and health benefits! Just take a look!
Look at what you get per serving and per 3.5 oz… 25g Protein! Both the Lentils and the Quinoa in this pasta provide some great plant-based protein!
So we’ve got the protein from some plant-based protein source of green lentils and quinoa, as well as the complex carbs and to this we’re adding some sauteed brussels sprouts, red onion in plenty of healthy extra virgin olive oil and garlic slices! Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box, which it does have a slight different consistency than regular pasta, but it has a great flavor which is most important! Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sliced red onions and Garlic to a skillet and heat over medium heat. You can add some oregano and basil as well as Fresh Ground Pepper and Pink Himalayan Salt if you like!
The health benefits of brussels sprouts are fantastic! One of my first infographics below. (I think I used too small of font on the bottom part. Still improving on these.)
What’s so great about this particular meal is that the POW Pasta is made with Green Lentils and is packed with 45% of the daily value of Iron per 3.5 oz. That and folate while brussels sprouts also pack 24% folate, both of which are great nutrients for pregnant women! Making it a great meal for pregnancy! And take a look at the daily value of Vitamin K in Brussels Sprouts… 274%! Wow! Vitamin K is valuable for so many nutrition needs and health benefits such as heart health and bone density, blood clotting, brain function and helping to prevent cancer! It’s a fat soluble vitamin, so when you eat it, it will be absorbed in the intestines with fat, so it needs fat! And we love healthy fats! That’s why here we have Brussels sprouts sauteed with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil!
In addition to garlic slices and red onion slices, having a generous amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in this recipe is what makes the “sauce” over the POW plant protein pasta! When the brussels sprouts, red onion and garlic are sauteed and toasted to your prefered perfection, pour everything over the cooked pasta and enjoy! Add a bit more of some fresh oregano or basil or parsley or all three to add your own herb and flavor!
And there you go again serving up an incredible protein and nutrient packed dinner, this time you can invite all your vegetarian friends over for a Well-Fed meal! Contributing to Your Whole Well-Being!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 - 1 box POW! Pasta My favorite is the Penne made from Green Lentils and Quinoa Flour
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil We're using more of this healthy fat as it is used to saute the vegetables and also coat the pasta
- 1/2 - 1 medium red onion sliced
- 4-5 clovees garlic sliced or smashed
- 10 brussels sprouts sliced half or quarters
- 1/2 tsp oregano optional
- 1/2 tsp basil optional
- 1/2 tsp parsley optional
- 1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt optional
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper optional
Ingredients
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- Being boiling water and follow instructions to cook POW! Pasta on box. It does take slightly longer than regular pasta
- In pan or skillet heat over medium heat, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic slices, red onion and Brussels sprouts. I put everything in together at once and allow to cook up, browning the brussels and the onions and garlic at same time. Add herbs to your preference.
- Pour the Brussels Sprouts with Olive Oil, garlic and onion over the pasta and serve!