The Protein Power of Salad (No Meat Required)

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Think you need meat to meet your protein needs? Think again.

Packed with whole grains and beans, this quinoa salad with blueberries, almonds, and herbs is a nutrient-dense protein powerhouse that won’t leave you wanting. In fact, research has shown that vegetarian and plant-based diets provide all the protein, iron, and other nutrients you need to be healthy if you’re eating the right things. Did you know that most Americans actually consume too much protein? Unless you are a serious endurance athlete you should save your money on protein supplements and instead consume a nutrient-dense diet based on whole foods. Know why that’s so great (other than preventing the stress on your kidneys that extra protein creates)? Because when it comes to nutrition, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, consuming whole foods allows you to obtain the complete nutritional package – including some unknown phytochemicals (health promoting elements found in plants) – without reducing a food to its simple nutrient components (like, say, protein). It’s the whole of your diet that matters most. And guess what? Limiting your meat consumption has lots of other health benefits, too, like omitting heart-unhealthy saturated and trans fats and reducing the carbon footprint of your diet given the amounts of water and grain used to create meat of any kind – for starters.

With summer flavors and nutrient-dense greens as well as beans, nuts, berries, and even a little cheese if you like – all the stuff that makes salad a meal - this is another perfect dinner salad that won’t leave you hungry. For the ingredients, recipe, and more info on the nutritional benefits, check out the full article here.

Dr. P. K. Newby is a guest blogger and nutrition scientist and educator who shares her love of all things food, cooking, and science at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen. You can read more about her mission, become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, or check out her food porn on Pinterest.

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Dr. P.K. Newby

Creator at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen
Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She is currently training for the Boston Marathon, her third (more here, and here). She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. To learn more, you can subscribe to her blog The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, become a fan on Facebook, follow  her on Twitter, check out her food porn on Pinterest, watch her cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse her recipe page for amazing soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more.

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