TVP

Last night's dinner concoction involved another recommendation from DBF's dietician...TVP...textured vegetable protein (aka TSP...textured soy protein). I'd never heard of it, but we think she told him to try it out so that he would still get lots of protein without eating too much red meat, etc. It's made from defatted soy flour.

Aside from being a high-protein meat substitute, it doesn't seem to have many other good nutritional properties, so I think we'll keep it to a once-in-a-while item. I'd personally rather just eat more chicken and beans and watch our portions.

Everything I read online recommended trying it 50/50 with actual meat in a recipe before trying it as a straight replacement, so I made up a batch of chili last night and it turned out pretty good. If no one told me it wasn't all beef, I wouldn't have known.

The TVP comes as a bag of dry flakes...looks like smashed up corn flakes. You reconstitute it with water and it puffs up into a meaty texture....now looks like mushy corn flakes. I reconstituted with some beef broth to give it some flavour, then used it in the recipe just like ground beef....browned it right along with the onions & the 1/2 lb of ground beef.

Anyway, so that was last night's adventure. Didn't manage to get out for a walk yesterday....work impeded me during the day, and then it was dark by the time we finished dinner. Boooo. I'll have to make sure to get extra time in at the gym today. I have a chiro appointment so my strength training will have to be reduced so I'll have extra time for cardio.

DBF is at work overnight so my meal plan is using up some stuff in the fridge....

- coffee
- Kashi Crunch with vanilla soy milk
- fresh pineapple
- Greek salad with tzatziki & ww pita
- Kashi bar
- 1/2 banana before gym
- Butternut squash soup, with Ancient Grains tortilla stuffed with leftover baked black beans
- skim milk
- blueberry bran muffin

Lord help me not snack my face off tonight!