Published on: 12 September 2017
Last Updated on: 22 July 2024
Our body necessarily needs protein. However, older adults need fewer amounts of protein without totally eliminating it from their diet. Without protein, our bodies will not function well. Besides meat, there are plant-based food alternatives. Protein is essential for our health and useful for people who do workouts and even those who are in recovery.
This kind of diet is helpful for vegans, health enthusiasts, and seniors alike who are avoiding meats in their diets. Here is a list of some food that could be your alternative for meat. Say hello to healthy living.
Seitan
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Seitan or commonly known as wheat gluten, which is composed of 75% protein. With a 100g serving, your daily protein requirement is completed already.
This healthy food is very low in fat and packed with nutrients like being low in sodium and carbohydrates. It can be a good source of calcium and also high in iron.
Seitan is indeed a wonder for diet programs to increase the protein intake without cholesterol and added fat. The only downside of this food is it is not gluten-free as it made from gluten.
Seitan can be cooked like meat – grilled, braised and broiled. You can substitute seitan for chicken or turkey.
Lentils
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The next one on our list is lentils. It contains tons of fibers that give you 26 grams of protein each day. It also contains iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Lentils also are high in folate, contains antioxidants, low in sodium and fat and are cholesterol-free. Eating lentils on a regular basis could add up some proteins and can be beneficial to your diet.
There are two varieties of lentils which are green and red. They are part of the legume family and are versatile that can be used in different meals. You can add lentils in your stews, veggie burgers or even a substitute for chicken breast. Just don’t overuse the serving of lentils as they can cause severe gout in seniors who have trouble in processing protein.
Quinoa
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Quinoa, a tiny seed that is full of protein, provides nine essential amino acids that our body can’t produce itself, including lysine that is necessary for tissue repair and growth. It contains fiber, irons, magnesium, and manganese. With just a cup of quinoa, your body is served with 8g of protein.
Cook it like how rice is cooked. It can also be a great substitute for pasta and rice.
Eggs
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Eggs are an excellent substitute for meat if you are not vegan. A large egg contains at least 6g of protein. Eggs are one of the staple food in every house’s pantry, which make it the perfect substitute. It contains tons of vitamins and minerals plus amino acids that your body needs.
Boiled, fried or scrambled, eggs are versatile. It’s up to you how you’ll eat at least two eggs a day.
Tofu
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Tofu is a popular choice for meat alternative and as used in numerous vegetarian cuisine. Though tofu can’t compare with seitan or quinoa regarding filling in for the protein loss, relatively, tofu can be a good substitute as it is healthy and beneficial as well.
It can be substituted for fish, chicken or pork, can be grilled, fried, steamed, sauteed, etc.
Takeaway
Eating healthy food can be difficult and giving staple food can make it harder. Knowing and learning alternative food that you can eat without compromising the nutrients that our body needs make it better. The list is a guide to the food that could be a great option to substitute with meat, and that would give the same amount of nutrients or even more.
Christina Ellis is a writer and a blogger who loves writing about topics that revolve around health and medicine. She is an aspiring nurse which is why Christina loves assisting elderly patients and writing about properly taking care of them. When not writing or volunteering at their local clinic, Christina plays volleyball and goes to the gym.
Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.
One of the best parts about travelling is trying out the local cuisine. Not only are you introduced to the city’s culture, but you’re also given a taste of what it feels like to be at home. Hunting for delicacies in Manhattan’s Upper West Side restaurants in NYC is not just about looking for the best, but also finding the right price to match it with. You might take a while looking here and there for the right amount, but it’s well worth the adventure as the items on this list range from your local street snack to a full and hearty meal.
Doubles:
A cheap find for anyone looking for a light snack. Doubles are made up of puffed-out flatbread surrounding chickpea curry. The combination of sweet and spicy sauces makes it a simple morning wake-up meal or an afternoon delight.
Hotdogs:
The beef sausage was historically brought by German immigrants who turned the dogs into a favorite beach food near Coney Island. Topped off with a simple mix of mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup hotdogs quickly turned into staple snacks for events and small breaks. The delicacy would range from being hot on the bun, on a stick, to becoming more intricate dishes from sliced to grilled. Hotdogs can be found in food carts, train terminals, and even featured as a special in some restaurants.
Bagels:
A great way to welcome your mornings, bagels can be confused as a pure bread creation, but its stuffing can include strawberry jam with a topping of butter. A great companion to early morning coffee, the mix of sugar and caffeine is a winning combination to start your day.
Subs:
Sandwiches and wraps are common finds at stalls and subway stations. A quick bite to eat, subs are often a mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar. The Kasbah Grill’s Cajun Chicken Sub is a creative take which turns the entrée into a pocket meal.
Fried Chicken:
With numerous franchise establishments selling their brand of chicken, you’d be curious to find out where they began. New York fried chicken was initially brought from the South, with a simple coating of seasoned flour deep fried in a skillet.
Pizza:
The Italians’ gift to New York in the 1950s which started an international debate of which is better, Italian or New York style pizza? The developed method in Manhattan changed the formula bit by bit through the generations and earned its place to make its own identity as the greasy cheese-laden pie that we all know and love.
Clam Chowder:
Not all items on this list are heavy meals. White clam chowder has its roots in Native American culture that explains its seasoning of onions and bacon together with potatoes. Red clam chowder has a different history far beyond White Clam chowder’s roots. Brought by the Italian-Americans, the Clam Chowder is an iconic soup dish that’s seasoned with a tomato base and with a stinging taste of clam as its base.
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Your wedding is the ultimate opportunity to celebrate the love you have for your spouse-to-be as well as the love and friendship you share with your guests. It’s the chance to get creative with your plans and show your guests how much you want them to have a good time and how much you appreciate them.
How do you give your guests a delicious meal without breaking the bank? Simply team up with an expert caterer and they can walk you through the best options for your wedding so you can showcase your personality and satisfy the stomachs of your guests. Want to know what you should skip and what you shouldn’t miss for your wedding food? Read on.
Don’t Miss It: Local Food Options:
Statistically speaking, your wedding is going to generate a decent amount of waste. Even if you only consider the food waste that comes out of preparing multiple meals as well as the plastic and glass that collects from the bar, that’s a sizeable amount of resources. Then if you think about the gas your guests will have used to arrive at the venue and the electricity that goes into powering your wedding, your nuptials will create an impact.
If you’re green-focused then you will have likely already considered sourcing your wedding food and drinks from local outlets. And even if the environmental impact of your wedding isn’t at the top of your list priorities, local options offer the promise of fresh food and unique types of drinks that your guests might not have had elsewhere.
Skip It: the Boring Buffet:
No one needs another boring buffet with rubbery chicken, flavourless iceberg lettuce, and too-oily roast potatoes. When the food comes out at your wedding, that’s the chance to brighten the faces of your guests with something exciting. Whether you serve your food buffet style or sit-down style, the meal options of your event venue can be spiced up with the help of an event caterer.
Don’t Miss It: A Unique Cake:
Are you going for a traditional, white wedding cake? Have you thought of what else you can serve? One way to impress your guests with something unexpected is through the dessert. You’ve gone so far as to customize every other aspect of your wedding, why stop at the cake? Maybe your love for donuts means you’d like to have a gourmet donut station in place of cake. Maybe you’d like to create a tower of pretty-looking cupcakes that anyone can come up to and eat as they like. Don’t limit yourself!
Skip It: Sugary Snacks:
When your guests arrive at the reception, they’re probably hungry in anticipation of the main meal. Don’t make the mistake of serving only overly sugary snacks like brownies and cookies. This type of food will just give your guests a sugar rush followed by an unpleasant crash. And for your guests without a sweet tooth, you can opt for a savoury-sweet dessert option like cheese and fruit that will still end the meal on a nice note without overdoing the sugar.
With all this in mind and an open-minded attitude to unique culinary options from skilled caterers like The Food Dudes, you can ensure your wedding meal and snacks will reflect your style and impress your guests.
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If there is something that I have learned in life, it is about gardening. Well, almost everything if not all. And if there is one thing that took me some time to master, it was knowing how to harvest potatoes at home!
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and popular vegetables in the world. They can be cooked in many different ways, such as boiled, baked, fried, mashed, or roasted. Moreover, they are also rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.
But how do you grow and harvest your own potatoes at home? You see, potatoes are not like cilantro or other plants. These are tubers.
In this article, I will show you everything you need to know about how to harvest potatoes, from planting to storage.
So, if that is something that you are interested in knowing, then I have you covered! Keep on reading this blog till the end to learn more...
How to Plant Potato Seeds or Tubers?
The first step in how to harvest potatoes is to plant them. You can start with either potato seeds or tubers. Potato seeds are small, round, and black, and they are usually sold in packets.
Potato tubers are the actual potatoes that you eat, and they have eyes or buds that can sprout new plants.
You can buy certified seed potatoes from a nursery or garden center, or use organic potatoes from the grocery store.
Here are some if the steps that you must take to plant them:
Planting Potato Seeds
To plant potato seeds, you need to sow them indoors in pots or trays filled with moist potting soil.
Place them in a sunny spot and keep the soil moist but not soggy.
The seeds will germinate in about two weeks and produce small green shoots.
When the shoots are about 3 inches tall, you can transplant them outdoors in your garden or in containers.
Planting Potato Tubers
To plant potato tubers, you need to cut them into pieces, each with at least one eye.
You can do this a few days before planting to let the cut surfaces heal and prevent rotting. Alternatively, you can plant whole small potatoes with several eyes.
To prepare the soil, you need to loosen it and add some organic matter, such as compost or manure.
You also need to make sure the soil is well-drained and slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0.
You can use a soil test kit to check the pH level and adjust it with lime or sulfur if needed.
Planting Potato Pieces
To plant the potato pieces, you need to dig a trench about 4 inches deep and 12 inches wide.
Place the pieces about 12 inches apart, with the eyes facing up.
Cover them with 3 inches of soil and water well.
As the plants grow, you need to hill up the soil around them to cover the lower stems and prevent the tubers from being exposed to sunlight, which can turn them green and bitter.
You can also mulch the soil with straw, leaves, or grass clippings to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
How to Care for Your Potato Plants?
The second step in how to harvest potatoes is to care for your potato plants. You need to water them regularly, especially during dry spells, to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. You also need to fertilize them every two weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or seaweed extract. Also, you can add some wood ash or bone meal to provide extra potassium and phosphorus, which are essential for tuber formation.
You also need to protect your potato plants from pests and diseases, which can reduce your yield and quality. Some of the common potato pests are:
Colorado potato beetles, which are yellow and black striped insects that feed on the leaves and can defoliate the plants. You can handpick them and drop them in a bucket of soapy water, or use an organic insecticide, such as neem oil or pyrethrin.
Potato leafhoppers, which are small, green, winged insects that suck the sap from the leaves and cause them to curl and yellow. You can spray them with a strong jet of water, or use an organic insecticide, such as garlic or hot pepper spray.
Wireworms, which are thin, brown, worm-like larvae that bore into the tubers and cause holes and tunnels. You can trap them with pieces of carrot or potato buried in the soil, or use beneficial nematodes, which are microscopic worms that parasitize and kill the wireworms.
Common Potato Diseases
One of the most common reasons why a potato cannot grow or survive is the diseases. If you were wondering what some of these can be and how to deal with them, I have you covered!
Some of the common potato diseases are:
Late Blight: It is a fungal disease that causes brown spots on the leaves and stems, and black or brown lesions on the tubers. It can spread rapidly and destroy the entire crop. You can prevent it by planting resistant varieties, avoiding overhead watering, and removing any infected plants and tubers. You can also use a fungicide, such as copper or sulfur, as a preventive measure.
Scab: This is a bacterial disease that causes rough, corky patches on the tubers. It does not affect the taste or edibility of the potatoes, but it reduces their appearance and storage quality. You can prevent it by planting resistant varieties, maintaining a slightly acidic soil pH, and avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilization.
Potato Virus Y: Lastly, this is a viral disease that causes mosaic patterns, mottling, or yellowing on the leaves, and misshapen or knobby tubers. It can reduce the yield and quality of the potatoes, and it can be transmitted by aphids or infected seed potatoes. You can prevent it by planting certified virus-free seed potatoes, controlling aphids, and removing any infected plants and tubers.
How to Determine When Your Potatoes Are Ready to Harvest?
The third step in how to harvest potatoes is to determine when they are ready to harvest. This depends on the type and variety of potatoes you planted, and the size and maturity you want.
There are two main types of potatoes: early and late.
Early potatoes are ready to harvest in about 10 to 12 weeks (about 3 months) after planting, and they produce small to medium-sized tubers that are tender and thin-skinned. They are best for boiling, steaming, or roasting.
Late potatoes are ready to harvest in about 15 to 20 weeks (about 4 and a half months) after planting, and they produce large, starchy tubers that are firm and thick-skinned. They are best for baking, mashing, or frying.
Early Harvesting
To harvest early potatoes, you can start digging them up when the plants begin to flower, or when the lower leaves start to yellow.
You can use a garden fork or a spade to gently lift the plants and tubers from the soil, or you can use your hands to feel for the tubers under the soil.
You can harvest as many or as few potatoes as you need, and leave the rest in the ground until you are ready to use them.
You can also harvest some of the young, tender leaves and stems, which are edible and nutritious.
Late Harvesting
To harvest late potatoes, you need to wait until the plants have died back completely, or until the first frost.
This allows the tubers to develop a thicker skin, which helps them store better.
You can use a garden fork or a spade to dig up the entire row of plants and tubers, or you can use a potato digger, which is a special tool that lifts and separates the tubers from the soil.
You need to be careful not to damage or bruise the tubers, as this can cause rotting or spoilage.
How to Dig Up, Cure, and Store Your Potatoes?
The final step in how to harvest potatoes is to dig up, cure, and store your potatoes. This is important to preserve the quality and shelf life of your potatoes, and to prevent them from sprouting, rotting, or shrinking. Here are the steps to follow:
Digging Up
After digging up your potatoes, you need to brush off any excess soil and remove any damaged, diseased, or green tubers.
Do not wash your potatoes, as this can remove the protective skin and invite bacteria and fungi. You can wash them just before cooking or eating them.
Curing
You need to cure your potatoes for about two weeks in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated place, such as a basement, garage, or shed.
This allows the skin to harden and heal any minor cuts or bruises and enhances the flavor and texture of the potatoes.
The ideal temperature for curing is between 50°F and 60°F, and the ideal humidity is between 80% and 90%.
You can spread your potatoes in a single layer on a newspaper, cardboard, or wooden crate, and avoid exposing them to light, which can turn them green and bitter.
Storing
You need to store your potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a cellar, pantry, or closet. The ideal temperature for storage is between 40°F and 50°F, and the ideal humidity is between 65% and 70%.
You can store your potatoes in paper bags, cardboard boxes, mesh bags, or wooden crates, and check them regularly for any signs of sprouting, rotting, or shriveling.
You can also store your potatoes in a root cellar, which is an underground or partially underground structure that maintains a constant temperature and humidity.
Additionally, you can also store your potatoes in a clamp, which is a mound of straw, hay, or leaves covered with soil, that insulates and protects the potatoes from frost and rodents.
Wrapping It Up!
If you want to know about how to harvest potatoes, I hope that this blog has been of help to you. However, if there are any other queries related to the same, please feel free to let me know.
All that you need to do is scroll down till you reach the bottom of the page. Then leave your comments and suggestions in the box below. And I will be there to answer them all for you!
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