Expanding my world of protein...maybe...

AshEvelynn

I'm debating on expanding my protein world. Both in the sense of tofu, legumes and wild game which terrifies me. I don't like change or new things and I'm a huge texture person so this will be a challenge for me.

Looking for advise for an easy transition...I don't know where to buy it locally (I'll figure that out) but I also don't know what to look out for in terms of "if it looks good" depending the the type of protein.

Also wondering in terms of taste and texture where to start...I have been brought up on chicken, beef and pork and that's all I have ever known. Scared of trying something new and getting totally turned off through a 'game-y taste or texture' and reverting back to my safety net.

And any good recipes out there that may help with this transition? Where are the experts, I need help!

kommodevaran

Try lamb before you try game. Ground meat should take care of texture issues.

Look at recipes with pictures and find something that looks appetizing. Appetizing is when your mouth starts to water

Keep in mind that you can replace almost any ingredient with something similar or equivalent.

How do you feel about eggs, nuts and seeds, seafood? Have you never eaten baked beans? Frozen peas?

Google "kid-friendly". Kids are people too, and like what they are used to, but you can use many of the same strategies that parents use.

Be curious. Give yourself time. Just try. Look, smell, touch. Lick, put it in your mouth, spit it out. Next time, chew and swallow one bite. Congratulations, you just ate

rheddmobile

Start simple and slowly expand. If you like beef, buy a lamb chop. Lamb is slightly gamier than beef but only barely. I happen to like gamey flavored meat and you may find you do too. Another option is goat, which you can probably find at a tacqueria - just try a goat barbacoa taco. If you try two bites and don't like it, no big loss, just set that aside and try again later. Studies have found that people like you who are resistant to new foods do better when they try the same food as many as seven to eleven times - you may hate it on the first try, but on the seventh time you're used to it and it tastes good. So instead of thinking, "Oh I tried it and found out I hate it," think more in terms of "I don't like it yet."

You haven't mentioned fish, that's another whole world of protein.

The thing about tofu is that it's delicious but it's not a meat substitute, or a cheese substitute - it's its own thing. If you go into it expecting it to be like something else, you will be disappointed, while if you accept it for what it is, it can be good.

What my husband and I do is try to have one "adventure" per shopping trip. We pick one new thing to try, whether it's a fruit or a spice or a vegetable, look up on the internet and learn several recipes, and try it out. Maybe something like this would help you build your repertoire of foods you like, but keep you from being overwhelmed by trying a bunch of new foods at once.

AshEvelynn

@kommodevaran - eggs and seafood are a huge part of my diet (I forget these are even protein lol) but interested to what else is out there. Beans and nuts are not by choice as the texture is not for me.

@rheddmobile - seafood and I are close friends I appreciate the tofu info...I'm not quite sure what to do with it but I am still looking at recipes to find something interesting. I love the idea of the adventure trip, I will try that for sure!

Sounds like you both agree lamb is a nice bridge...

EHollander89

I agree with trying lamb! I live a few blocks from a Greek restaurant, and I could eat their food several times a week it's so good. Gyros and lamb burgers are two of my personal favorites.

Rickster1967

Venison is a great option, lean, tasty and sustainable. Far less fat than beef lamb and pork which means you can eat more for the same calories and therefore get more protein in.

Rabbit is lovely, my favourite meat in fact. Need some cooking skill to get it right.

Guinea fowl is a good poultry option too.

0% Fat Greek Yoghurt is good for protein and easy to eat and digest.

janejellyroll

I eat a lot of tofu and beans!

If there are particular flavors/styles of cooking you particularly like, I recommend incorporating tofu into one of those. Lots of people like it in stir-fries. I really like it marinated and baked -- you can then cut it into cubes and toss it in a salad, put it on a sandwich, or just eat it with the rest of your meal. Make sure you're buying the right kind of tofu for the dish you're wanting to make. Silken tofu (which is usually packed in shelf-stable boxes and lasts for a while) is usually used for blending for desserts or as an egg substitute. It also makes a great base for dip. But it doesn't work well for baking or stir-frying! For those, you'll want the kind of tofu that is packed in water and usually found in produce departments. It doesn't last as long, but it has the kind of texture that works well for cooking. Pinterest will have a ton of tofu recipes.

Beans -- if you're not experienced with them, try incorporating some classic bean dishes into your meals so you can get a feel for how different they can be. Some suggestions: chili, minestrone, baked beans, hummus, and black beans soup are all great places to start. If texture is a concern, I have noticed that many people who aren't crazy about the texture of beans still do enjoy black beans or garbanzo beans sometimes so those may be good places to start.

AshEvelynn

Ok...so here is my other battle...

Venturing into this new idea, (unlike pork, beef, chicken and seafood maybe because I was brought up on these?) I have an image in my mind of fuzzy big eyed animals skipping around a green lawn and enjoying the sunshine which is making it very hard to see them on my plate. Any thoughts on how to see past this? Even if I eat it, will I ever not see this?

@EHollander89 - Maybe I should go out for dinner and experience it that way first? That might take the stress part out for me...

@rickinnercirclebet - Wow, you have a very well rounded palate! Awesome!

apullum

Have you ever tried tempeh? It's another meatless protein made from fermented soy, sometimes with grains as well. It has a nutty taste and a firm, chewy texture. It can taste a little bitter, so I prefer to steam it for about 10 minutes first. No need to use a separate steamer--I just add a little water to the pan I'll use to cook it, put on the lid, and then when it's done I continue with the rest of the recipe. If you have a Trader Joe's, they carry it; I can't always find it in a "regular" grocery store.

AshEvelynn

@janejelly47 - Thanks! Those are two things I don't have experience with (Tofu because I've never tried and beans because of texture) but might try incorporating a few into current dishes and will certainly check out the garbanzo and black beans!

Rickster1967

AshEvelynn wrote: »

Ok...so here is my other battle...

Venturing into this new idea, (unlike pork, beef, chicken and seafood maybe because I was brought up on these?) I have an image in my mind of fuzzy big eyed animals skipping around a green lawn and enjoying the sunshine which is making it very hard to see them on my plate. Any thoughts on how to see past this? Even if I eat it, will I ever not see this?

@EHollander89 - Maybe I should go out for dinner and experience it that way first? That might take the stress part out for me...

@rickinnercirclebet - Wow, you have a very well rounded palate! Awesome!

spent 20 odd years living in France, Italy and Spain

you learn to eat differently and much better than the typical Anglo-Saxon stuff we get in UK

AshEvelynn

@apullum - No I have no tried that - doesn't really sound like something I would be interested in but that's what this is about. Trying new things so if I can find it, I will try it at least 5-11 times before I decide Thanks!

AshEvelynn

@rickinnercirclebet - So amazing! What an experience! One I could only dream of! I love enjoying food from other cultures so I'm excited that I can maybe find some new favourites with switching things up! Just scared to start lol

jelleigh

Haven't read all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating but something that's helped me start to go Into the world of tofu is categorizing it a bit. If it's a hard tofu and it crumbles, then treat it like ground meat. It will even taste like that if you season it right. For medium tofu, think if it as a cheese replacement instead of a meat replacement. For soft tofu - it might be hard texture size for you. It's sort of like ... A soft jello? I've actually blended it into fruit smoothies and it's made it rich and creamy.

I've just started trying to use Textured Soy Protein. It's dehydrated and looks almost like a cereal. You're supposed to soak it for a few minutes and then it behaves again like ground meat.

lilithsrose

I would suggest trying things like black beans, chickpea salad and hummus for vegetarian protein sources.

If you are scared to try wild game, try taking ground meat and combining it with something more familiar, like beef. Meatloaf, burgers or tacos are good starter ideas for this. Also, when eating vension, young females are the way to go. They tend to have a less gamey flavor. I've eaten mostly wild venison my whole life, so I'm used to the flavor.

BZAH10

AshEvelynn wrote: »

Ok...so here is my other battle...

Venturing into this new idea, (unlike pork, beef, chicken and seafood maybe because I was brought up on these?) I have an image in my mind of fuzzy big eyed animals skipping around a green lawn and enjoying the sunshine which is making it very hard to see them on my plate. Any thoughts on how to see past this? Even if I eat it, will I ever not see this?

@EHollander89 - Maybe I should go out for dinner and experience it that way first? That might take the stress part out for me...

@rickinnercirclebet - Wow, you have a very well rounded palate! Awesome!

Well, chickens, cows, and pigs are animals, too, and you've eaten those all your life. I get that eating a different animal is a bit different but if you rationalize it, I think you'd be ok.

Good suggestions so far. The only thing I'll add is wild meat is a bit different to cook, so don't write it off right away if it doesn't taste right the first time. It takes some practice and varies from each type of meat.

AshEvelynn

BZAH10 wrote: »

AshEvelynn wrote: »

Ok...so here is my other battle...

Venturing into this new idea, (unlike pork, beef, chicken and seafood maybe because I was brought up on these?) I have an image in my mind of fuzzy big eyed animals skipping around a green lawn and enjoying the sunshine which is making it very hard to see them on my plate. Any thoughts on how to see past this? Even if I eat it, will I ever not see this?

@EHollander89 - Maybe I should go out for dinner and experience it that way first? That might take the stress part out for me...

@rickinnercirclebet - Wow, you have a very well rounded palate! Awesome!

Well, chickens, cows, and pigs are animals, too, and you've eaten those all your life. I get that eating a different animal is a bit different but if you rationalize it, I think you'd be ok.

Good suggestions so far. The only thing I'll add is wild meat is a bit different to cook, so don't write it off right away if it doesn't taste right the first time. It takes some practice and varies from each type of meat.

I do struggle with it as well, don't get me wrong. I grew up on a farm and despite being told not to, I would name all our cows/pigs/chickens all and then not understand when my pets went missing. Obviously growing up, I understand but it comes back from time to time. I think my struggle for these different animals is because I have had some as pets but that is why I'm honestly asking how to 'NOT' see this. It was just a thought..

AshEvelynn

@jelleigh - Thanks, great tips! That gives me a good idea of the difference!

@rhaiin - Good idea about doing burgers or meatloaf...I'll keep that in mind.

@BZAH10 - Yes I am figuring that out from a few others who have mentioned it that cooking it will take time to learn - something that will factor into the success of the dish for sure so will have to pay attention, try again and different dishes

jondspen

Are you going for variety, or just need to up your protein intake? Shrimp is a very low calorie/low fat to protein ratio...but can get expensive fast. You are eating all the normal ones (beans/rice, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish, eggs, dairy)...so for a variety you can try lamb. I really like gyros and Mediterranean dishes. Venison is really good (deer) - but hard to get in some places, and not gamey at all (unlike duke, raccoon, squirrel). There is also frog legs, which I saw in my local big box frozen isle, but I'm in the south...so might be a regional carry thing.

If you just need to up protein in your diet, how about a whey or BCAA supplement? You get the increased protein, without sacrificing a lot of your daily calories.

AshEvelynn

@jondspen - Not really looking to up my protein but rather just to try something new for variety. I'm feeling the pull to challenge myself with new dishes and alternatives and am interested in what else is out there.

Wanted to get an idea on ones to try to get me started off successfully and it sounds like lamb and venison are a good direction...I'm going to check in on those to start.

JeromeBarry1

Near me is a meat market that I did not know. An Uber driver told me that it was a good supplier, so I wandered in and found meats that were somewhat exotic to my experience. I bought a pound of ground bison, which works and tastes just like beef, but with lower fat and a better Omega-3/Omega-6 profile, and sausages made of alligator and pork. The alligator is a dry white meat like chicken, so the sausage needed a fatty complementary meat. The sausage tasted good and worked well in the dishes I used.

Be brave. Seek out local supplies of venison, moose, goose, and anything else that wanders the Canadian countryside. You'll enjoy it.