Blending legumes and seeds together

Blending legumes and seeds together is how vegans make sure they get all the essential amino acids; the broad bean is an exception that has them all. It's most unlikely you will ever find them in the grocery store; not difficult but persnickety to grow.

Soybeans too are reputed to be a complete protein but personally I find them indigestible; they are high in "anti-nutrients" like lectins and phytates.

There are nine "essential" amino acids that we cannot live without. Carnivores have no difficulty getting them all from meat, dairy products and chicken, for example. But vegans have to work hard at it; they do it by blending legumes and seeds together.

We personally are "flexitarians," enjoying small amounts of meat and plenty of beans, peas and lentils. Nuts and seeds fill any of the gaps.

Disclaimer

The Industrial Diet

The modern "industrial diet" is heavily biased towards meat from feedlots, sties and cages; we abhor such animal cruelty and in any case scientists have proven that such protein is "probably" cancer-causing. We are not enthusiastic about that either, hence we are flexitarians. That means small amounts of true free-range beef, chicken and fish. As expected it costs more but we eat less.

The sulphur-containing amino acids

An excellent review of legumes as an alternative protein source^[1] points out that beans, peas and lentils are typically deficient in the sulphur-containing amino acids; tryptophan, cysteine and methionine.

These can be readily sourced from nuts and seeds.

Derek's chickpea and sesame seed paste dish

This is my brother's favourite chickpea and sesame seed paste dish; he too is not a vegetarian but loves to delve into their secrets of how to be healthy without eating meat.

Dried chickpeas

You too may be concerned about the cancer-causing plastic lining of the cans that chickpeas come in. It is not difficult to soak, cook and freeze them from the dried seeds. It will also cost a quarter of the price and not have various preservatives added.

It is best done in a pressure-cooker as they tend to boil over and make a mess.

Chickpeas are the world's most used protein source; they are cheap. They are an affordable and healthy dish for much of the population in the East.

How to cook and freeze dried chickpeas is a cinch.

Freeze them in small packets ready for instant use.

Hummus

Blended chickpeas with a sesame seed paste is often called hummus. Half a teaspoon of freshly-roasted cumin seeds is sometimes used to give the hummus more flavour.

• What is cumin?

Hummus is a complete protein; in theory you could survive on it alone for amino acids though obviously that is not recommended.

The balance

The beauty of blending legumes and seeds together yourself is that you can get the balance right. Some folk like extra garlic, other prefer none. Do you enjoy plenty of chili or even more lime juice?

Instead of letting the manufacturer dictate how you should enjoy your food, make hummus yourself. Once you're in the groove, it takes only 5 minutes.

For those who enjoy spicy food but not too hot, the peppadew is a good alternative. Pop a few plants into your front garden; the colour of the fruit is divine. Every now and then one of them can be very mouth-watering and tear jerking depending on where the honeybee last visited. Generally we remove most of the seeds; but that's where the capsaicin is found.

Weight loss

There is interesting research that regular consumption of limes and cumin helps with weight loss.

• Cumin plus lime for weight loss

Hummus is one of the dishes highlighted in Bernie's scientifically proven weight loss program; it's not a diet.

Feeling peckish?

Blending legumes and seeds together is a regular business at Our Green Kitchen. Broad beans too make a wonderful hummus of sorts. When feeling peckish a spoonful of one of these condiments provides instant satiety; they are rich in fibre, protein and a healthy fruit oil.

Broad bean hummus

Broad bean hummus is another of our favourites when blending legumes and seeds together. Although they are not readily available I have to put in a plug for them; they are the only source of pharmaceutical amounts of dopamine. There are strong indications that they prevent Parkinson's Disease but only proven to date in white mice; and about 70% of those suffering from the condition can be treated far more effectively with this beauty.

How to sprout, stake and plant broad beans should be considered by every single gardener. PD is the fastest developing neurodegenerative disease in the world and the medication does not work well; prevention is better than a cure.

• My journey with broad beans

My interest is personal; a bad tremor started in my forties with the threat of developing into PD according to the neurologist. Provided I eat them daily, the shakes in my right hand are entirely controlled by my broad beans; so I grow and freeze them for year-round consumption.

Blending legumes and seeds together

Blending legumes and seeds together for complete proteins enables vegans to enjoy healthy lives without animal products.

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