Proteins
Why eat sustainable proteins
Every cell in your body requires protein - it is essential to building bones, muscle, tissue, skin and more. However, protein reserves in the body are minimal in comparison to other energy reserves such as fat and sugar, so protein must be consumed consistently.
However, people generally consume more protein than they need, particularly in developed countries. In addition to this, our protein consumption is not sustainable because of our preference for animal-based proteins. Livestock alone contributes 14.5 % of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the impact on health
Although it is difficult to study the impact of food on long-term health, emerging evidence suggests moving away from meats and towards plant-based proteins for optimal health. Canada's Food Guide encourages the consumption of less red meat in favour of more plant-based foods to help reduce the incidence of chronic and cardiovascular diseases.
How can I change?
The amount of protein served should be adapted to the patient's needs. In some cases, supplements can provide the necessary amount of nutrients.
List of possible food substitutes options (first half)
List of possible Food substitutes options (second half)
Legumes
They are little flavour sponges!
Prepare
With aromatics like herbs, carrots, onions and garlic.
Cook
With low-sodium stock or lightly fried as a snack or a salad topping.
Choose
- Low sodium canned legumes.
- Suppliers from nearby provinces or states.
- In bulk, since dried legumes can be stored for up to a year!
- Less packaging = less environmental impact!
- Organic to reduce pesticide use.
Some inspiration!
Why not add them to muffins and other baked goods or use them to thicken soups and sauces?
Tree nuts
An excellent option to vary meal texture!
Prepare
Slightly toast nuts on a stovetop and provide as a salad topping.
Offer nuts at your salad bar.
Offer nut butter sandwiches if appropriate for the patient.
Cook
To reduce meat but maintain nutritional quality, mix a blend of nuts with meat in standard meat recipes.
Choose
- Local nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and hazelnuts can all be grown in North America).
- Fair trade exotic nuts.
- Organic (organic crops are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides).
- Low sodium options.
Did you know?
Use nut butters as the sauce base for Asian noodles or salads.
Seeds
Multitasking, they are a real nutritious cocktail!
Prepare
Toast sunflower or sesame seeds for additional flavour.
Cook
Sprinkle seeds on top of cooked dishes to increase protein content.
Choose
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states.
- Organic crops.
Did you know?
Purchase whole seeds and grind to add to burgers and meatballs. If ground seeds are purchased, store in the freezer for proper preservation.
Sprinkle seeds on top of cooked dishes to increase protein content, such as on breakfast porridge, on salads, or in smoothies.
Meat substitutes
The chameleon of savory and sweet dishes!
Prepare
To increase the flavour of firm tofu, freeze, thaw, drain, and marinate for 24h. You may also freeze the tofu in marinade.
Cook
Cut or mince small cubes of tofu or tempeh to blend well with existing recipes.
Scramble tofu for breakfast instead of eggs.
Choose
- Short ingredient lists.
- Avoid salt, sugar, fillers, and additives.
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states.
Did you know
Add silken tofu to smoothies, desserts, sauces.
Replace meats in stir-fries with seitan or extra-firm tofu.
Wild game meats and Seaweed
Rich land animals and aquatic vegetables!
Prepare
Because of their high sodium content, seaweed is mostly eaten as a seasoning.
Ensure that the inedible parts of game (feathers, hair, etc.) are properly separated from the edible parts (meat).
Try placing the game meat in a brine to add moisture and prevent the meat from drying out.
Cook
Add seaweed to soups, cooked with salmon roe, diced and grilled, dipped in fish fat, mixed with rice, etc.
Game meats are quite lean: add marinades to bring out more flavour.
Choose
- Dried seaweed is sold in sheets, ribbons, pieces or powder.
- Seaweed in brine or canned. The canned appearance and texture are reminiscent of that of spinach puree.
- Wild game meat from well-managed populations, if received special governmental permission to do so.
Did you know?
Add seaweed in strips in a broth. They are very nutritious: rich in protein, calcium, iron, iodine and vitamins A, B and C.
Although seaweed generally accompanies fish, it also harmonizes well with poultry.
Eggs
All good all around!
Prepare
Eggs are versatile: plan for different styles of preparation throughout the week such as over-easy, poached, or scrambled.
Cook
Make frittatas or omelettes using any combination of vegetables you may have handy.
Offer boiled eggs in your salad bar or as a meal replacement.
Choose
- Free-run or free-range eggs.
- Fresh over processed eggs.
- Liquid eggs and pre-cooked eggs without additives.
- Organic eggs (organic poultry fed with no animal byproducts).
Did you know
Make fresh mayonnaise, aioli, and other sauces using eggs.
Instead of deli meats, offer scrambled eggs in sandwiches, burritos, and pitas.
Insects
The great power of little critters!
Prepare
Recipes that are low in protein can easily be increased with cricket powder.
Cook
Add powders to savoury dishes such as soups, stews, or curries.
Choose
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states.
- Choose organic.
Did you know
Add powder to smoothies, sauces, or dips to add extra protein.
When baking desserts, replace 10% to 15% by weight
of flour with cricket powder.
Poultry & Rabbit
Good sustainable options!
Prepare
Reduce waste at production site by eating all parts of the poultry, including giblets.
Cook
Use minced meat in spaghetti sauce. Create homemade burgers, nuggets, meatballs, meatloaves, with legumes and/or oats to reduce meat consumption.
Choose
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states.
- Canadian poultry, as it is growth-hormone free.
- Free-range poultry, meaning they have space to move freely.
- Organic poultry – comes from chickens which are fed with feed free of animal by-products and synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides: this drastically lowers poultry’s global warming impact.
- Avoid breaded, pre-fried meat.
Did you know
Create homemade burgers, nuggets, meatballs, meatloaves, with legumes and/or oats to reduce meat consumption.
Use the giblets—the organs inside poultry—to add
flavour to your dishes : boil and make chicken stock, or add pureed to mixed meat dishes.
Dairy
A little extra to enrich your menu!
Prepare
Feature the digestive benefits of dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, and cheese.
Cook
Consider adding cheese in vegetarian meals to assist the transition away from meat proteins; it can also increase the protein content if needed.
Choose
- Avoid high sugar, sodium, and low fat products.
- Canadian dairy products, as they are all antibiotic and synthetic growth-hormone free.
- Dairy from grass-fed and pasture-raised animals: look for certification or language such as “100% grass-fed”.
Did you know
Use yogurt or kefir to thicken sauces, smoothies, and milkshakes; use kefir to leaven or ferment dough recipes.
Add milk powder and cream to sauces or liquid meal/desserts to increase protein and energy.
Seafood & Fish
The richness of fresh and salt water on the plate!
Prepare
Frozen seafood is often the most sustainable choice, because it can be shipped by rail rather than by air.
Cook
Pre-cut or minced frozen fish is often a cheaper choice.
Choose
- A wide variety of regional seafood: this places less pressure on any one population.
- Aquaculture and fisheries supported by local communities (ownership, co-ownership, or partnership) and when possible, Indigenous communities.
- Canadian shrimp, and sustainable canned tuna.
- Seafood at the bottom of the food chain, such as small fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies), as they contain less pollutants and are often more sustainably harvested.
Did you know
Make seafood stews, soups, or chili rather than using meat.
Offer fish patties instead of meat patties in burgers.
Pork
Lots of ideas to savour it!
Prepare
Varied parts to reduce waste, by consuming all edible offal and all parts of the pork.
Cook
Chop pieces of pork and mix with legumes or vegetables. Braise or poach, slow cook, grill or fry.
Choose
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states. Canadian pork is growth-hormone free.
- Pork raised without antibiotics: the over-use or misuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance.
- Pasture-raised pork.
- Avoid processed pork: the consumption of nitrates and nitrites found in processed pork may be carcinogenic to humans.
Did you know
Puree offal and add to meatballs, meatloaves, or other mixed meat dishes.
Offer tempeh or turkey bacon instead of pork bacon at meals.
Red Meats
There is something to make a big deal of!
Prepare
Feature “Meatless Mondays” serving only vegetarian or vegan dishes.
Minimize portion size of beef and make other elements of the meal the highlight.
Cook
Slow cook in liquid. Braise or poach. Grill or fry.
Choose
- Purchase smaller portions of red meat, particularly processed meats.
- Regional suppliers from nearby provinces and states.
- A variety of parts: reduce waste by eating all parts and offal such as tongue, heart, and liver.
- Antibiotic- and hormone-free red meats.
- Pasture-raised, grass-fed red meats.
- Organic meats.
Did you know
Instead of 100% meat burgers, blend with mushrooms or legumes.
Look for plant-based sausages or ground soy substitutes which replicate the taste and texture of meat.
