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| Strawberry Protein Smoothie |
Under the heading of Sweet Desserts, there is a delicious, protein loaded strawberry smoothie that I love to make. It only takes about 10 minutes to put together and serves 4. Most of the protein is from Firm Tofu. Tofu is so versatile since it has no flavor of its own. Whatever you blend it with is what its going to taste like.
You may have read that Soy, which is the basic ingredient in Tofu, isn't good for you. I read that too. But if you do a literature search in scientific papers published in the past 25 years you will find articles like these:
2002: Substituting soyfoods for animal products reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
2003: Soyfoods mildly reduce blood pressure—in men. (Preventive Medicine)2003: Soyfood consumption associated with lower risk of coronary heart disea —in women. (Journal of Nutrition)2004: Consumption of soy reduces risk of coronary heart disease—in middle aged men (in Scotland). (The Journal of the American College of Nutrition)
2013: Soy protein supplements may reduce levels of endothelial dysfunction (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
2001: The soybean diet is the most potent dietary tool for high cholesterol. (CurrentvAtherosclerosis Reports)
2001: Soy protein has “remarkable improving effects” on blood cholesterol levels of subjects with high cholesterol. (Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry)
2002: Soy consumption reduces cholesterol. (Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing)
1989: A diet of soy protein has a positive impact on a range of diet and health issues, including diabetes and hyperlipidemia (abnormal blood levels). (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
2001: Supplementation with soy protein lowers the blood cholesterol of patients with type 2 diabetes. (Diabetes Care)
2002: Ingestion of soy protein improves glucose control and insulin resistance (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
2006: Soy foods have a low glycemic index, making them an appropriate part of diet intended to improve control of diabetes. (Nutrition Journal)
2010: Fermented soybean products may prevent diabetes more than non-fermented soybean products. (Nutritional Research)
There are a lot more papers out there and the majority of them make me feel confident that the risk/benefit ratio is strongly in favor of Soy as a healthy source of protein. Of course if you are allergic to Soy or any of the other ingredients, this isn't for you.
Strawberry Cinnamon Smoothie
Prep Time: 10 minutes.
Chill Time: 2 hours (or overnight even better)
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
12 frozen strawberries, 1 12.3 oz box of organic firm tofu, 12 pitted dates, 0.5 cups sweetened vanilla almond milk, 4 TBSP maple syrup, 3 TBSP Chia seeds, 2 TBSP cinnamon.
Mix together the almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and Chia seeds. Let it thicken for about 5 minutes. Put it in your blender or food processor along with the strawberries, Tofu and dates. Blend it on high for 5 minutes or until smooth. Pour it into 4 servings and put it in the refrigerator over night or at least for 2 hours. Garnish each serving with half a strawberry on the top.
Enjoy!
