3 Delicious 100% Alkalizing Meat Replacement Recipes

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Nutrition

Evidence-Based
7 min Read

If you think an alkalizing meal must include mountainous piles of greens and vegetables heaped on a plate, you absolutely must read today’s post.

I’ll show you how you can get creative in the kitchen and whip up 100% alkalizing dishes that go beyond just veggies and salads. And an added bonus is that they contain complete vegetarian protein, so they substitute acidifying animal protein. Plus they’re easy to prepare, and are nutrient- and calorie-dense.

These three mouth-watering dishes are the perfect way to balance your meal’s pH while adding healthy protein and variety to your bone-rejuvenating diet.

Just What’s In These Recipes?

Today’s recipes have two ingredients in common: quinoa and lima beans. Together, they have complementary amino acids, forming what’s known as a complete protein (more about that later).

Lima beans are a an alkalizing Foundation Food, since they contain many Foundation Supplements, including calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, and Vitamin K. Quinoa is protein-rich, alkalizing and gluten-free, and it’s great at adding texture and a nutty flavor to a large variety of dishes.

In two of the recipes, you’ll also find tomatoes – an excellent source of bone-healthy lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that accounts for tomatoes’ red color and prevents oxidative damage to bones. And the tomatoes are cooked to make the lycopene more bioavailable, especially when they are cooked in olive oil.

All Of The Ingredients Are 100% Alkalizing!

It’s been scientifically proven in many studies, including a large meta-analysis, that a diet rich in alkalizing foods does in fact rejuvenate bones and prevent osteoporosis1. So it’s great news for Savers that protein can be alkalizing and delicious.

The Role Of Protein In A Bone-Renewing Diet

If you are following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, then you know that protein (especially animal protein) is not emphasized. In Chapter 8, the Program explains the “protein myth,” and describes how proteins are built from amino acids found in a variety of foods, and why you don’t have to focus too much on getting large amounts of complete protein every day.

That’s what we’re “building” here with these recipes – using food combinations that contain all the amino acids to get complete proteins. In fact, just about all foods contain amino acids, which are “incomplete” proteins; but only some foods have all the amino acids that make up a complete protein, and most of those are animal-based and acidifying.

With today’s recipes, you’ll be combining vegetarian sources of amino acids to obtain all the protein “building blocks” your body needs. You see, protein is important in a bone-building diet, especially because of its role in building muscle. Strong muscles are crucial for building strong bones, because weak muscles can’t exert an appropriate amount of stress on your skeleton to stimulate bone growth (as per Wolff’s Law). Protein consumption, especially if eaten throughout the day rather than once a day, gives muscles what they need to get stronger.

Now let’s get to these delicious recipes, beginning with…

1. Hearty Stew

2 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ medium red onion, diced
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • ½ cup carrots, shredded
  • ½ cup green beans
  • 1½ cups vegetable broth
  • 5 tomatoes, cut up in small pieces
  • 1 cup lima beans, cooked
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon parsley flakes

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft.
  2. Add the quinoa, carrots, 1 cup broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer until quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in beans and cook for about 5 more minutes. You can add more vegetable broth to reach desired consistency.

2. pHabulous Veggie Burger

Makes 4 patties

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 teaspoons fresh, minced basil, divided (or 1 ½ teaspoons dried)
  • 1 ½ cups lima beans, cooked
  • ½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/2 bell pepper)
  • ½ cup red onion, finely diced
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/3 cup coconut or almond flour mixed with 2 teaspoons of water
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Avocado oil (to grease pan)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. In a medium pot, bring water, quinoa, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon fresh basil (or ½ teaspoon dried) to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked. Let stand uncovered for 10 minutes.
  3. Mash about 3/4 of the lima beans, leaving the rest whole.
  4. In a large bowl, mix well the quinoa, onion, red pepper, green peas, 2 teaspoons basil, and lemon juice. Add in the flour- water mixture and mix well. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in the lima beans.
  5. Divide mixture into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick, and place on greased pan or cookie sheet. Cook in oven for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.
  6. To reduce cooking time, you can use a skillet. Heat the oil and cook the patties about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

3. Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes

4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 8 small to medium tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1/3 cup cooked lima beans
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped basil leaves
  • 3 tablespoons sesame or sunflower seeds

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Scoop out the seeds and flesh of the tomatoes and set aside.
  3. Place tomato “cups” on a baking sheet and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them, then ¼ teaspoon each of salt (optional) and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, just until tomatoes are juicy and soft. Make sure you don’t over-roast.
  4. While the tomatoes are in the oven, use a fork to mash the quinoa, lima beans, and avocado in a large bowl. Mix in the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and basil. Mash and mix well.
  5. When the tomatoes are ready, gently spoon the mixture into the tomato cups and sprinkle them with sesame or sunflower seeds. Bake for another 5-8 minutes until mixture is warm.

Creative Recipes Add Bone-Healthy Variety

Sometimes, nutritional programs and dietary approaches to healing are envisioned as boring, repetitive meals. Not so with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program and its companion cookbook, Bone Appétit!

That’s why I created Bone Appétit: to bring lots of bone-smart, creative and delicious dishes to your table. Building strong bones with proper nutrition should be enjoyable and not complicated.

And discovering how to use a variety of Foundation Foods in creative ways helps you stay on track with ease and without sacrificing taste.

Also, creative recipes make the nutritional Program even more customizable. For example, the above recipes are excellent if you find it challenging to maintain your weight or if you lead an active lifestyle, and would like to pack in a good amount of nutrient-rich calories.

So enjoy these bone-nourishing recipes, and feel free to share your cooking experiences with the community by leaving a comment below.

Till next time,

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References

1 Lambert, Helen, et al. “The effect of supplementation with alkaline potassium salts on bone metabolism: a meta-analysis.” Osteoporosis International, January 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-014-3006-9