SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Meat Alternative Trends and Technology - May 2022 - 17

a deactivated yeast dried into a powder and commonly
used as a flavoring in vegan meals, as it has
a strong cheesy, nutty flavor profile and provides
umami, a taste many plant-based foods lack.
To make a front-of-package claim, protein
must be calculated as a complete protein. " Good "
or " excellent " source of protein claims refer to
the amount of complete protein in the product.
This is 5 grams or 10 grams per serving for each
respective claim. This is very important information
for vegans who are at risk of being deficient
in some essential amino acids. Deficiency may
have a negative impact on muscle repair and
growth, fluid balance and hormone production.
If the focus of plant-based is simply to
develop dishes featuring more non-animal proteins,
protein completeness is less of a factor. It's
assumed the consumer will be compensating for
the missing amino acids in other foods throughout
the day.
LAYERING ON FLAVOR
One of the most common complementary protein
duos is rice and beans. Rice protein is high in
cysteine and methionine, but low in lysine. Bean
protein is low in methionine but high in lysine.
Another is peanut butter (low in methionine, high
in lysine) with whole wheat bread (low in lysine,
high in methionine). These whole food plant
protein duos may serve as the base for culinaryinspired
dishes, with or without the addition of
other proteins.
Another approach is to include enough of a
complete plant protein to ensure a balanced
amino acid profile. For example, Nastasha
McKeon, founder of the Choice Superfood Bar
and Juicery vegan food chain headquartered in
Carlsbad, Calif., and author of " Plant Food Is
Medicine, " combines finely chopped walnuts
with nutritional yeast, tomatoes and spices to
make a savory taco filling. Seeds and nuts are
a go-to for her for many recipes.
" Before going vegan, I used to love
spicy tuna ceviche, " McKeon recalled.
" My spicy suntuna pâté really hits the
spot when that craving strikes. "
She combines sunflowers seeds
- a source of complete protein - with
cashews and soaks them until softened.
They are formulated with chopped onion,
olive oil and seasonings into a tuna saladlike
consistency.
Quinoa, also a complete protein, may be prepared
with seasonings and used as a complement
to many plant-based dishes. McKeon, for example,
cooks quinoa with turmeric and olive oil and
uses it to fill collard green spring rolls. Compared
to other leafy vegetables, collard greens are
packed with nutrients, including protein, albeit
incomplete.
People
always ask
me what I
use to make
'tuna' and
it's way
simpler than
you think. "
Nastasha McKeon
" I love collard greens, so many nutrients and
so few calories, " McKeon said. " Select large,
fresh collard leaves. The bigger the collards, the
easier to use for wraps. Wash and soak the collards
in warm water with some lemon juice. This
helps soften up the leaves and makes them pliable
enough to roll.
" Place the washed collard greens on a cutting
board and cut off the large stems at the base of
the leaf. Then use a knife to thinly shave along
the rib of the stem, starting at the base and moving
up toward the top. After the collards are
cleaned and soaked, and the stem and rib are
removed, you are ready to roll. "
Oyster mushrooms are another of her favorite
whole food (incomplete) plant proteins, as
they may be prepared to resemble tender, seasoned
strips of meat, such as carnitas.
" Oyster mushrooms are a rich source of protein,
vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, " she
said. " They are low in calories and fat free, cholesterol
free, gluten free and very low in sodium. "
Oyster mushrooms provide only six of the
nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities.
They are lacking in leucine, lysine and methionine.
When served in a burrito or wrap application,
the dish may become a complete protein
when other proteins are added, for example, a
chipotle cheese-style sauce.
Oyster mushrooms are
rich in protein, vitamins,
fiber and antioxidants.
McKeon likes to use cashews, also a source
of incomplete protein, as a base in many of her
" cheesy " sauces. She renders them complete proteins
through the addition of nutritional yeast,
which also provides desirable cheesy, umami
flavor notes.
When it comes to making vegan sushi rolls,
whole vegetables are used to simulate various
types of fish. To make the rolls a complete
source of protein, McKeon recommends
using seasoned quinoa.
" People always ask me what I
use to make 'tuna' and it's way
simpler than you think, " she said.
" I hate to sell it short by saying 'it's
just tomato' but the truth is, 'it's just tomato.'
The magic comes from the preparation. The
tomatoes need to be boiled, peeled, filleted and
marinated for hours prior. This process is what
MEAT+POULTRY 2022 MEAT ALTERNATIVE TRENDS + TECHNOLOGY
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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Meat Alternative Trends and Technology - May 2022

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