There’s a lot of hype around veganism – it comes with the territory. And I suppose like every other “movement” (or philosophy or idea or what have you), there are different “types” of vegans… like the ethical vegans, the hippie vegans, the weight-loss vegans, the health vegans, the I’m-only-doing-it-because-it’s-trendy vegans, etc. And probably a lot more in between. I’d probably categorize myself as a ethical-hippie-health vegan. But honestly, F the labels. Whatever the reasoning behind our choices, veganism is one of the most ethical, environmentally-friendly, and healthy lifestyles out there. Personally, I’ve never been one to proselytize or try to convert others in an unwarranted way. I think the best way to spread awareness about veganism is to talk about it (respectfully, always) when asked, and to cook delicious vegan food for my friends so I can sneakily convert them anyways (hehehehe). And surprisingly, it works! My mom now loves delicious vanilla almond milk in her morning coffee rather than the heavy coffee creamer. And my guy is probably 60% pescetarian now, which is a huuge step. It means so much to me when the people I care about take the time to actually learn why I’m vegan instead of automatically judging this choice.
But unfortunately, the rest of the world isn’t so open-minded. Although veganism is definitely becoming more mainstream, the amount of ignorance out there is just unbelievable. I swear, if I had a dollar for every time I was asked, “But.. but… where do you get your protein from?!”, I would have enough money to publish a pamphlet on plant-based protein sources and send it to every person in the world. I’m really trying to be patient with these questions, really, but my responses are starting to get a little snarky. Just recently an acquaintance asked me where I get my protein, in response to learning I was vegan. The conversation went something like this:
Them: “You’re vegan? But where do you get your protein?!”
Me: “I don’t. There’s literally nothing I can get protein from except for animal products so I just don’t eat any protein.”
Them: “Whh…what?”
Me: “Yep. I’m a medical miracle.”
Face. Palm.
But on the real. Even my mom, who is a very intelligent person (and a Registered Nurse) asks me every time I see her if I’m getting enough protein. I know she’s just worried about my health, but there are so. many. places. where you can get protein that don’t involve animal products. For example:
1// 1 Cup Lentils (cooked) = 18g Protein
2// 1 Cup Edamame = 17g Protein
3// 1 Cup Chickpeas (cooked) = 15g Protein
4// 1 Cup Black Beans (cooked) = 15g Protein
5// 1 Cup Quinoa (uncooked) = 24g Protein
And that’s not even taking into account protein smoothies / supplements, which are pretty darn awesome if I do say so myself.
So that’s my little rant about protein/veganism. And it’s probably a little ill-timed because this isn’t my most protein-heavy recipe ever, but this raw noodle bowl is deliciously light and healthy, especially for the summer months. I bought these beautiful rainbow carrots at the farmer’s market and was so inspired by the vibrant colors! It’s paired with a delicious miso & tahini dressing that has so much umami that my taste buds almost fell off. I hope you all love it as much as I do!
Raw Noodle Bowl w/ Miso Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Noodles
- 3 Medium Tricolor Carrots
- 2 Daikon Radishes
Miso Tahini Dressing
- 2 Tbs Water
- 1 Tbs Tahini
- 1 Tbs Tamari
- 1/2 Tbs White Miso
- 1/2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
Toppings
- Sesame Seeds
- Kale optional, finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash and lightly peel 3 medium carrots + 2 daikon radishes.
- Spiralize noodles using your spiralizer.
- In a bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until fully combined. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Toss dressing with noodles, adding as much as desired.
- To serve, sprinkle bowl with finely chopped kale and a few sprinkles of sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Song of the Day:
The Wire – HAIM
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