Spicy Almond Butter Noodles

Where do you get your protein?  (Curious friends and onlookers)
Would you like to add protein to that?  (Menus and waiters)
The best sources of lean protein to add to your diet!! (Buzzy headlines)

Americans are obsessed with protein. It grabs headlines like no other nutrition topic today, yet I’m betting that most of those obsessives don’t really know much about it…  it’s a macronutrient, but protein is not a single thing. It’s constructed from little building blocks called amino acids. Thousands of proteins can be created using just the twenty amino acids. The human body can synthesize eleven of the amino acids on its own, so the remaining nine must be supplied by the diet.

Animal sources are considered “complete” because they contain all nine in a good ratio to one another. Plant sources also contain all nine, but typically one or two are in relatively short supply. Back in the dark ages when I studied nutrition, experts thought if one ate primarily plants, plant foods would have to be combined to make “complete” protein. This is actually “complete” bunk, because the body maintains a pot of amino acids that it combines into whatever protein it needs, all by its little self. The key is simply eating a diverse balanced diet which supplies the nine must haves. 

These days, I’m getting more of my amino acids, aka protein, from plant sources. My highly nutrition minded mom would be blown away by what is now known about the human body and its use of protein. She probably wouldn’t be serving up whole T-bone steaks to each of us at the farm dinner table, either… because while animal foods are good sources of protein, they come packaged with compounds that contribute to inflammation and the development of chronic diseases like atherosclerosis, stroke, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Alternatively, plant protein is anti-inflammatory and comes packaged with fiber, which offers substantial health benefits. These include increasing metabolism, controlling weight, regulating blood sugar and  improving the blood lipid profile. Which is why my dinner increasingly features dishes like my Spicy Almond Butter Noodles. 

One might suspect this concoction to be an Americanized version of a non-existent Asian dish. However, turns out that noodles with nut butter did originate as a Chinese street food. You’ll find a myriad of recipes for them online, some served hot, some served cold, some much noodlier than others. I use einkorn whole wheat spaghetti for my noodles, providing chewy texture and protein. These noodles are one of the higher protein, lower calorie options floating around in today’s market, that don’t set off my IBS. Coated with a savory, rich almond butter-sesame-tamari sauce that is pretty much addictive. Veggies add additional fiber, color, texture, flavor and yes, protein! Spice it up to your comfort level with hot chili paste. While many die hard meat eaters will disagree, I personally find the combination of textures and flavors to be ever so much more interesting than that T-bone steak. 

My original goal in making dietary changes was to improve my IBS, and this eating pattern has delivered. I wasn’t aware at the time of the additional health benefits that could accrue due to eating more plant foods. That said, I appreciate that the pre-diabetes and pre-cancerous polyps I had prior to making these changes have gone missing. I don’t think I’ll be searching very hard to find them…