Nutrition
option is missing that protein punch, don’t be scared to ask staff to adapt the dish. Most kitchens have a can of chickpeas to add to a veg curry, some cashews or peanuts as a topping to your stir-fried noodles or a spoonful of hummus to slap on that veggie burger. It’s always a good idea to fill in a feedback form or write a review online about your restaurant experience. Restaurants will value constructive feedback and it could help with their seasonal menu reviews.
Check ingredients When searching for the hero for your plate, check that it isn’t always compromising protein. Looking at the ingredients list when buying products can help – if the protein source is mentioned early on it is likely the product contains a good amount. For example, a meat substitute burger or sausage made from soya or pea protein can have four times as much protein as a standard veggie burger or sausage. Even bean burgers tend to have limited protein as they are usually bulked out with potato and vegetables. Like a lot of processed foods, some meat substitutes can be quite salty. It’s good to check food labels if you are eating them often – more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is a high amount.
VEGAN ‘FISHCAKES’ serves 4 VEGAN ‘FISHCAKES’ (photo on the right)
serves 4
Ingredients 2 sheets of nori 1x400 g can of chickpeas 1x400 g can of jackfruit (drained and squeezed) 1 large white potato (peeled) 1 bunch of spring onions 15 g fresh ginger (peeled and grated) 4 cloves of garlic (crushed) 2 red/green birds’ eye chillies ½ lemon (juiced) 1 small bunch of coriander 20 g rapeseed oil ½ tsp salt 100 ml fortified plant milk 100 g plain flour (use gluten-free if required) 200 g golden breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if required, or wholemeal for added fibre)
Directions Toast the nori in a dry frying pan on high heat. Once it starts to blacken and crumple put it in a blender, grind into small flakes and set aside. Boil the potato until it’s soft enough to mash. While the potato is boiling, blend the chickpeas until they are almost smooth but keep a little texture. Make sure the jackfruit is thoroughly drained, and squeeze it to remove as much liquid as possible. Flake the jackfruit into the chickpea mixture. Blend it slightly if you are not able to flake it.
38 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021
Be your own chef It is great that so many meat and fish alternatives are on the market right now, helping more and more people make a comfortable switch to veganism. Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds can be so versatile, so why not try combining them with grains and your favourite herbs and spices, using a food processor or mashing with a fork to make your own mince, patties, ‘meat’balls or sausages. This is a great way to adapt to your own taste buds, while combining foods to make a complete protein hero.
Take-home tips • Include a protein source at each meal. • Familiarise yourself with food packaging and labels. • Experiment with beans, pulses and grains to create your own protein-rich heroes. • Don’t be afraid to ask food chains and restaurants to adapt menus for a more balanced meal. For information about vegan nutrition, check out the resources at vegansociety.com/nutrition, including the free VNutrition app. Andrea Rymer, Dietitian
(photo on the right) Gently fry the spring onion, ginger, garlic and chopped chillies in oil until soft (not browned) and add this to the chickpea and jackfruit mixture. Mash the soft potato and add to the mixture along with the flaked nori, salt, lemon juice and chopped coriander. Mix well. Add a quarter of the breadcrumbs to the mixture and mix again until a firm shape can be created. Shape the mixture in to 4 large or 8 small patties. Coat each patty in flour, then dip into the milk and finally coat with breadcrumbs. You may need to repeat this to get an adequate coating of breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and flash fry each side. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until cooked throughout. Plate, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition tips • Nori can provide a good source of iodine, however the most reliable source is via an iodine supplement in the form of potassium iodide or iodate. Head over to our website for more information on iodine. • Why not serve with our homemade coleslaw (you can use the aquafaba drained from your can of chickpeas to make your own mayo!) adding another one of your 5 a day. See our ‘homemade coleslaw’ recipe on our website.
