Dessert as your daily protein fix.

INSIGHT

Dessert doesn’t have to be an indulgent escape, it can also be your nutritional top-up.

The protein debate is still out: how much protein do we really need per day? Do your kidneys get strained from excess protein intake? Is there a ceiling as to how much you can absorb in one ingestion? Do protein needs change as you start building more muscle? Whey versus plant-based protein powder? Can you body build as a vegan on whole foods only (no supplementation)? Are plant-based and cell-based meats going to convert meat eaters? Is the impending apocalypse going to be the result of our messed up industrial-agricultural complex? As an advocating vegetarian it’s enough to drive one crazy and want to scarf down a burger in frustrated ironic protest.

As an over-arching ponder: we’re still trying to figure out how it works principally, how the quality/type/amount/intake of protein get utilized in the body under different circumstances. But one thing to note is that there’s been a lot of myth wrapped up the idea of protein deficiency.

The need for protein via meat consumption was even enough to spur the formation of a UN Protein Advisory Group in 1955 to address concerns about protein malnutrition in developing countries; whence it was later discovered that it was actually a problem of micronutrient deficiency, not a lack of meat. Popular thinking at the time that we "needed more protein" did not wane even with the evidence and persisted till, well even today.

Luckily, the imminent pitfalls of the modern meat-industrial complex and it’s top spot in the culprits of global warming are converting and curbing our carnivorous tendencies. We are hungry for meat-protein alternatives and, more so, a balance of macro and micro nutrient intake so our bodies can do their intelligent manufacturing without getting obsessed with grammage. The idea that we are not just what we eat, but what we absorb is highlighting the need to heal our guts so that they can actually optimize our nutrient intake and process amino acids better -- thinking more on terms of synthesis than quanities.

INSPIRATION

Daily Harvest

It’s a beautiful thing when farmers and nutritionists get together with a great business model with a mission to get everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables. Daily Harvest has a subscription delivery service to get you the ripest, sweetest, heartiest, most nourishing fruits and vegetable combinations in a frozen tub form. Delicious and convenient, they cry-freeze all their chef-crafted recipes so you can enjoy a smoothie or soup within minutes.

From the ground up, they partner with farmers who don't settle for anything less than the sweetest, heartiest, most nourishing fruits and vegetables. Then everything is frozen within hours of harvest to lock in nutrition that is approved by in-house chefs and nutritionists who craft the combinations for delicious, healthy frozen smoothies.

INNOVATION

“Frotein”

Tubs of mixed sweet and savory dry ingredients that act as frozen protein shake makers: blend with recommended liquids for smoothies, gelatos, soups and gazpachos!

• One-serving tubs of mostly dry ingredients (i.e. nuts, seeds, dried fruit, frozen fruit, sprouts, plant powders, herbs, roots, butters/oils, etc) that go into the freezer for storage. Has the same shelf-life as homemade gelato to ensure freshness.

• Take out and mix with recommended liquids (Sweet: yogurt/milk/nut milk/ice creams/juices, or Savoury: water/broth/elixirs) for a delicious snack or mini-meal where you know you’re getting between 20-40 grams of protein per serving.

• For the protein-conscious calculator (i.e. muscle-builders, fitness enthusiasts, vegans/vegetarians, elderly, chemo-patients) who want good quality, whole-food protein options that are easy to make.