Achieving weight loss on a vegan diet with a high protein content is tricky. Low-fat vegan protein is available in the form of tofu, tempeh, plus all varieties of beans, peas and lentils, yet these are not particularly appetising for breakfast. Nuts are relatively high in protein, as are some seeds such as chia, pumpkin and hemp. Hemp seeds or hearts as well as chia seeds, are beneficial as they are one of the few plant foods that are a complete protein (containing all nine of the essential amino acids; most plants are missing one or more). However, their fat content is high.
Many people on a vegan diet opt for a vegan protein powder to reach a high protein content without going overboard on fat. These powders are typically formulated using a bean or pea powder. The taste of peas or beans is not easily masked, and I find them unappealing. Please let me know if you have found a tasty brand.
The recipe below is reasonably high in protein, but the fat content is higher than I would typically recommend. However, it is satisfying and adds variety to a diet. If you like this recipe and decide to make it one of your regular breakfasts, please ensure that on these days, lunch and dinner contain protein from foods with a lower fat content. Let me know your thoughts!
PROTEIN: 17 g per portion
Ingredients
Soak overnight ingredients:
- 20g Organic Hemp Hearts
- 15g Organic Oats
- 10g Organic Desiccated Coconut (can be found in Tesco’s)
- 5 g Chia Seeds
- 200 ml Plenish Almond Milk (Rude Health Ultimate, or Ecomil, are good but NOT Alpro!)
Remaining ingredients:
- Juice of half a lemon
- 120g Frozen Mango
- 8 Almonds
- 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Seeds
- 30 g Blueberries
- Optional: A sprinkling of Desiccated Coconut
METHOD
The night before, place all of the soak overnight ingredients into large jar or any container with a lid. Pop this into the fridge.
To prepare for breakfast, pour the overnight ingredients into a blender. Add to this the lemon juice and the frozen mango. Blitz for approximately one minute. The mixture should still be rough, with mango no longer visible as chunks.
Pour this mixture into a bowl and decorate the top with the almonds, pumpkin seeds and blueberries. If using, sprinkle a little desiccated coconut. Enjoy 😊.
