If someone were to really ask me, “Where’s the beef?”.  I would probably respond, “Who cares?”.  I admit I am not a huge meat eater by any means.  Meat actually grosses me out a little.  I hate preparing it.  The feel and smell of raw meat turns my stomach.  I don’t even like to patty up hamburgers.  Disgusting! 

However, that doesn’t mean I am totally against meat.  I do love a good cheeseburger now and again.  I just don’t ever really crave a steak, or a juicy chicken and you can just forget about eating pork.  Don’t even get me started on pork.  Pork is repulsive.  You know the whole pig/toxin thing don’t you?  Now if you are talking overly processed bacon, that’s another story for me.  I love crispy bacon.  I am a total mixed bag on meat.  However, I recognize that protein is vital for a healthy diet.  Protein gives our bodie’s cells structure, assists in making hormones and enzymes, and also is needed for growth/tissue repair.

Due to my transient and totally emotionally tied repsulsion for most meats, I try to look for more sources for protein than just meat.  I stumbled upon this great list a while back, and while I already use many of these food items in my own diet, I found a couple more great ideas.  I am a firm believer that the lower you eat on the food chain, the healthier the food. Meaning, meats are higher up on the food chain and usually have more toxins.  Plants, minus human applied ferilizers, tend to have few to no toxins. These protein sources fit that criteria as well.

1. Quinoa (pronounced KEE-nwah)  Known as the mother grain of the Andes this delicious nutty flavored grain has amino acids, a high iron content, and is quick to cook.  Look for this also in breads, pastas and other grain products.  I learned to love this grain when I was going “wheat free” for a while due to an elimination diet.  I still crave the yummy bread made with this I found at the health food store.

2.  Veggie Burgers  That’s right!  It’s a burger but absolutely no beef can be found in these.  Usually made with protein rich soy and organic vegetables, these no meat alternatives come in a bunch of tasty varieties.  Don’t be afraid of veggie burgers, they don’t taste like the cardboard veggie patties from days past.  I admit we don’t eat too many of these at my house.  Tomas thinks the only burger is one made out of beef.  I have yet to find a veggie burger that fits “his beefy manly needs”.

3.  Almonds  You all know about the delicious almond, right?  It’s the perfect snack!  High in protein and calcium while low in carbs, this little nut provides a tasty and easy meat alternative.  For best results, eat them raw.  But, don’t just eat the nut itself!  Try almond milk too!  I try to pretend that almond paste is equally as healthy when I am eating danishes or pastries, but I don’t think that counts.

4.  Yogurt  Packed with protein, calcium and good bacteria, yogurt is another healthy staple.  Stick to the organic varieties to avoid the processed extras that many brands contain.  Plain, organic, full-fat yogurt is best for you.

5.  Tempeh  I haven’t tried this yet, so I will assume that this really would be tasty.  Made from fermented soy beans and rice, tempeh is high in protein and fiber.  I have heard it has a nutty flavor and tastes great in stir frys.  Let me know what you think.  I am usually not an adventurous chef.

6.  Legumes  My favorite category!!!  Love these!!  Lentils (yum), chick peas (yum yum) and black beans (yum, yum, yum) are full of protein and fiber.  Find a healthy recipe to combine all three for a protein power pack.  We use all three in combo to make an awesome burrito.  No beef in those babies!  Just legume goodness!  Oh, and don’t even get me started on how great hummus is!

7.  Cheese  Oh, my beloved cheese!  I love cheese!  Buy all natural cheese for an awesome addition of protein to your diet.  All natural cheddar and mozzarella are the best choices for protein content. 

Eat up my friends!  As a bonus, you will save a TON of money at the grocery by switching out some of your meat for these protein choices.  Have you seen the price of meat lately??  Who needs it?

Part of dealing with this whole bedrest thing means that Tomas has had to get a little creative with his work schedule.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t include never showing up.  So, last week while Zack was at Kindergarten, he took Anson and Gret to work for a while.  I know, that’s probably not the most productive move, but at least he could gather some paperwork to bring home.

There they were at work.  The kids love going to Daddies work.  They feel very important and really like to visit all their grown up friends there, not to mention they know where the candy dish is kept.  They were so excited.  It just happened to be a day though where Tomas’ bosses boss was there (can you follow the hierarchy?) for some pow-wow.  We’ll call him “The Big Guy”. Normally, he works out of an office on the other side of the state. 

“The Big Guy” is a pretty friendly guy and went into Tomas’ office to say hello to the kids.  To preface what happens next, you have to know a physical description of this guy.  He’s a bigger guy in stature with a “generous” potbelly.  He has totally silver/white hair.  Now Anson, who is definitely not our shy boy, goes up to “The Big Guy” and repeatedly pats ”The Big Guy’s” belly. 

“Wow!  You have a great big belly!”  Anson exclaims.  “You must have a baby in there like mommy!”

Everyone in the office gets a little chuckle and Tomas turns a little red from embarassment.  BUT…Anson was not done yet.  Seeing as how he had a new interesting friend, Anson states out of no where later (Bless my little boy, for he knows not what he does), “Your hair is really weird.  I don’t like it.”

How’s that for tact?  Tomas wanted to crawl out of the room.  However, that would have been difficult since Gret was so freaked out by “The Big Guy” that she was clinging to him like a teary baby opossum.  What are the chances that “The Big Guy” okays a decent raise for Tomas this year?  It depends on how much he likes kids, I think!