Friday Drop: I tried a few protein-ified things so you don't have to.
Protein cheesecake (for breakfast?), protein mac & cheese, and your menu for next week.
To protein-ify or not protein-ify. That is the question.
Hey there,
Want to peak behind the curtain for a bit? I’m writing this draft on February 4th, right before the Super Bowl weekend, so my feed is PACKED with game day recipes.
Earlier today, I saw the eat goood newsletter (who I’m really enjoying lately) post high-protein hidden veggie buffalo mac & cheese.
My immediate thought? It’s cottage cheese, and I’m kind of tired of protein-ifying everything.
RFK Jr. recently declared an end to “the war on protein”, and I think every dietitian turned around and went… war? What war? Marketers have been adding protein to non-protein foods for years now. Didn’t Kim K. just release a protein popcorn or something?
I think Americans know about the importance of protein. I think rehabbers know about the importance of protein. It’s the number one thing physical therapists tell me when they say they talk to their patients about nutrition. “Got it covered! I tell them to eat protein!”
There are two ends to this protein-ification coin. If adding a quality protein source to a typically low protein meal (like mac and cheese) is an easier, more enjoyable way for you to hit your 20-40g of protein at each meal, incredible. If you’re tired of chicken or eggs or protein shakes, and want to switch it up, incredible. But if you just want some normal pasta, and some normal cheese, and “protein-ifying” is genuinely ruining the experience of that meal for you … don’t do it. I have other strategies for you.
Also! If you are protein-ifying every carb to the point where you are no longer getting enough carbs, then that is a concern.
Protein Cheesecake
This recipe comes from @charlottecohencooks. Basically, you mix an egg into greek yogurt and bake it.
Overall Score: 2/10
Taste:
Taste definitely isn’t the issue here. It tastes like the yogurt flavor you choose.
Texture:
It’s like warm yogurt with chewy edges. After a few minutes, mine started to split and become quite watery, which wasn’t helpful.
Price:
Cheap
Ease of Recipe:
Incredibly simple, and only 1 dish, but still not worth it.
Would I do it again?
No. Just eat a yogurt.
Main word I’d use to describe this one: confusing. I liked the idea of a warm breakfast option that wasn’t oatmeal. This one wasn’t it.
High-Protein Buffalo Mac & Cheese
This recipe comes from the eat goood newsletter and it is goood. There’s a but, though, stay with me.
I’ll start with the “but”. The reality check here is that this is a more traditional recipe than what we usually undertake here. If my goal is to provide fast, simple almost “no-cook” recipes that rehabbers can take on if time, energy, and mobility are low, this recipe is not that. It typically takes me about twenty minutes to cook and film a recipe for this blog. This one took closer to an hour, and my kitchen was a mess.
Now, there is nothing wrong with that. When it comes to traditional recipe blogs, this recipe is very simple and reasonable. It’s just a little more complicated than what we normally do here.
That said, here’s what I’d do next time to make it easier.
Just make the sauce. The sauce is fantastic. I think it would save well, too.
Overall Score: 8/10
Taste
A little zing to a quality bowl of the comforting, ultra cheesy mac we all love.
Texture
Would recommend having the chicken on the side, but otherwise the texture is perfect, and easy to adjust to the thickness of your choice.
Price
Reasonable. I spent $23 on ingredients from HEB, and would easily get 6 servings from this. I already had the spices and pasta noodles.
Ease of Recipe
Simple from a culinary perspective, but a bit more complicated than what we' typically do here. I’m going to continue playing with the sauce to see if there is a no-stove version that only requires blending ingredients.
Would I do it again?
100%.
Breakfast:
Tart Cherry Smoothies
A favorite of mine.
8 oz tart cherry juice
2-3 whole beets from a can (This is way cheaper than buying beet juice.)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of frozen berries or cherries
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
5g creatine monohydrate
Lunch:
Whole Foods Family Tray?!
Rumor on the street is you can make a custom Family Tray at Whole Foods for about $35. An automatic 4 portions of carb, color, and protein? Sounds like 4 days of lunch to me.
Is it the cheapest rec I’m going to give you? No. Is it still cheaper than buying Chipotle 4 times? Yes…
Dinner:
Protein Mac & Cheese
I think I could very comfortably eat that for dinner 3 nights in a row without getting sick of it.
Option 2:
If you’re following along each week, you should have a few options in your freezer to reach for. Soup, coconut cashew salmon, and maybe even a back up meal. I plan to rely on my old, faithful, a tuna sandwich, but that’s because I made a great loaf of sourdough that I’m looking forward to. :)
Snack Spotlight:
Popcorn has been scratching an itch for me lately. It’s a nice source of fiber, and while I don’t normally recommend snacking while watching TV, grabbing a bowl of popcorn and tucking in for the Olympic Prime Time coverage every night has been super enjoyable.
Last but not least, your prompt for this week:
What do you think? Is getting enough protein a struggle for you? How much do you consider enough? And.. well.. what do you think? To protein-ify or to not protein-ify?
