Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets

Easy..Tasty.High.Protein.Veggie.Nuggets.www.4hourbodygirl.com

Instead of over processed chicken nuggets that are made with who knows what, why not make these Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets? The protein comes from the lentils, which are perfect for any low carb/slow carb diet. You can feel about eating these and giving them to your kids. My son loves them. He loves anything with dip mind you, and I usually make a cucumber, garlic & greek yogurt dip (for even more protein) for these, but you could dip them in any “traditional” nugget dip like BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ketchup or ranch. 

These cute little nuggets of fried goodness are bursting with flavor. Start out by sautéing some onions and carrots with tomato paste.

carrots and onion | www.4hourbodygirl.com

I was thinking about an episode I watched on Jamie Olivers Food Revolution show, where he went to the preschools and showed the kids how chicken nuggets from McDonalds were made. He took all of the the most disgusting pieces from the chicken….the fat, the bones, the organs and stuck them in the food processor, grinded them up into a paste then added a few dried herbs and spices and asked the kids if they’d eat it. They all let out a HUGE Noooooo!!!!. But then, he proceeded to form the paste into nuggets, fried them up and to my surprise they all wanted them! He was shocked too! It was an interesting experiment, but knowing (or more like, NOT knowing) what’s really in them got me thinking of alternatives that could be just as fun, look similar, but are full of nutrition for my child and came up with these Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets.

I adapted this recipe from an favorite in Istanbul called küfte. As I was “adapting”, I thought to myself: who are you to be making adjustments to at traditional recipe from Istanbul? Annnd….welll…. I never really came up with a good answer to that. So enjoy my Canadian twist on this traditional dish!

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

 

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

 

For other healthy, easy and delicious snack ideas check out my Pinterest boards. You can follow my boards to make it easy for you to come up with healthy options for you and your kids. 

 Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets www.4hourbodygirl.com

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets
Yields 10
A delicious snack the whole family can enjoy and feel good about.
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tblsp butter
  2. 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  3. 1 carrot, finely chopped
  4. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  5. 2 teaspoons paprika
  6. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  7. 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
  8. 4 cups water
  9. 1 cup medium-quinoa
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  11. Lentil flour, for dusting
  12. Avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the white onion and carrot and cook over medium heat, until soft, for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika and cumin, then add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and have absorbed about three-fourths of the liquid. Stir in the quinoa and remove from the heat. Let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is softened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; spread in an even layer to cool.
  2. Put 1/2 cup of flour in a plate. Divide the lentil mixture into 16 portions; form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Dredge the patties in the flour, shake off any excess and set on a floured baking sheet. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the patties over medium heat, turning once, until golden, for about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add more oil to the skillet if needed.
Notes
  1. Double the batch and freeze for future quick snacks and to add to lunches.
4- HOUR BODY GIRL https://www.4hourbodygirl.com/
Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

20+ VEGAN PROTEIN POWDER RECIPES

20+ Protein-Powder-Recipes www.4hourbodygirl.com

Could we save the world by becoming Vegan? Last night I was watching a documentary called Cowspiracy, and it really got me thinking. Could I Be A Low Carb Vegan? I like meat, but the more I learn about what’s in it, how these animals are raised and treated, and how it affects the environment, makes me like it less and less. I don’t eat meat every day, but I do have some form of dairy, eggs or meat every day. I think it would be challenging, but I’m seriously contemplating how I could go about doing this. Maybe the website I found 20+ VEGAN PROTEIN POWDER RECIPES on, will be able to educate me and inspire me enough to become a Vegan. Let’s see…

Cow in rolloer skates | www.4hourbodygirl.com

The documentary was about how #1 cause of environmental destruction, is the animal agriculture business. Not cars, not coal mines, not what we’re led to believe. It also points out if we used all of the grains that we grow to feed the cows, we could feed the 7 billion people on the planet, and it explains how that would all work. It pointed out that the big environmental groups like Green Peace, aren’t focused on the #1 cause and it makes me wonder why? It was worth watching. If you’re interested, you can find it on Youtube, Netflix, or you can order it directly through their website. I always like seeing solutions to things, not just the problems.

Anyway, I remembered that Tim Ferriss did have a section in his book, The 4-Hour Body, about one Olympic Athlete who was vegetarian, and showed what he ate to create lean muscle mass, and he also shared a 5 step process on how to become a Vegan if you were to choose that.

He points out how to get enough protein as a Vegan, without soy (because soy can cause hormonal issues). I’ll give a rundown here, but for more detail, you may want to get the 4-Hour Body book. He basically says by using whole foods (which requires prep time) and powdered protein (which requires budget) you are able to get enough protein in your diet as Mike Mahler (a well-known Vegan Strength Athlete). I will share his suggestions for the best Vegan protein powders below.

I found this beautiful website called Vegan Family Recipes that is visually appealing and has many recipes that I want to try, you may like it too. 

 20+ PROTEIN POWDER RECIPES from Vegan Family Recipes

20+ Protein-Powder-Recipes | www.4hourbodygirl.com

I especially want to make these Chocolate Peanut Protein Balls.

Chocolate Peanut Protein Balls | www.4hourbodygirl.com

The best Vegan Protein Powders out there are:

Sun Warrior : 

  • A mixture of plant-based proteins, featuring raw organic pea protein, cranberry protein, and hemp seed protein

Pure Advantage:

  • 100% Pure Non-GMO pea protein isolate provides a perfect source of concentrated protein for anyone, especially vegetarians, vegans or those following restricted diets

Nitro Fusion Plant Fusion:

  • Plant-sourced protein supplement

Any suggestions from any Vegans out there? Could you become Vegan if you’re not? Would love to hear from you.

20+ Protein-Powder-Recipes  www.4hourbodygirl.com
Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com
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