One of my favorite breakfast dishes growing up was the Besan poode (also called Chilla). Just like pancakes with syrup are a popular choice for breakfast with kids and adults alike in the West, these savory versions of pancakes are … Continue reading
What exactly are proteins?
A big misconception is that consuming protein is mostly important for athletes or people who work out a lot. That is simply not true. Protein is an essential component of our diet, and, is in fact critical for our health. It is even called a macronutrient like carbohydrates and fats, since all three of these are required in large quantities by the body (unlike vitamins and minerals – micronutrients that are required in smaller quantities). In our bodies, all of our cells, tissues, skin, muscles, blood, bones and organs are mainly comprised of proteins. Even enzymes, hormones and other chemicals are made up of proteins (Osterweil).
About a year ago, I started hearing about a grain called Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). I even read a few articles about it in the magazines and on the Internet; furthermore, I saw it while watching Food TV – one of my favorite decadent pastimes 🙂 It definitely piqued my interest, but I was still hesitant to buy it. Then, I finally got to try it at one of the sampling sessions at Trader Joe’s. I wasn’t particularly impressed since it was quite bland. But I realized that this was an issue with the recipe and not the quinoa itself, which had a quite nutty flavor and was a bit chewy but “not bad.” It was well worth being creatively experimental with it! And boy did I experiment 🙂 Continue reading
Healthy Eats For All 