If you want a more nutrient rich wrap to hold anything you can dream of, these are a nutrient rich and delicious. They are high in protein with 7 g of protein for each wrap. They are spongy and soft and resemble something like the spongy bread that is often used for falafel wraps. You can make them sweet or savory, and with the addition of an egg and few seeds, you can up the protein to levels you would obtain in a ham sandwich. Vegans often turn to vegan protein powders, thinking since they cut out meat they need a protein substitute. But this is unnecessary as plants easily provide sufficient protein when mixed in sufficient levels.
Plant protein is the most important class of protein to consume. Research shows that during pregnancy and lactation high consumption of plant protein results in the best biometric outcomes for your baby. But plant proteins are incomplete, meaning they do not have all the amino acids.
High quality proteins are generally called such in science for those proteins that have all the essential amino acids. These are also called complete proteins. On the other hand low quality proteins are of such nomenclature when the protein is incomplete. But this is confusing because it does not mean the protein is “low” quality or “high” quality. In fact a low quality protein when combined with other low quality proteins is healthier and provides a greater range of essential phytochemicals and antioxidants than those that are generally referred to as high quality proteins.
High quality proteins that are replete with all the amino acids are animal products including sea food. Low quality/incomplete proteins are from plant sources and are missing one or more of the essential amino acids. The incomplete proteins should be combined in the following ways to make a complete “high” quality protein. These are referred to as complementary protein combinations which are as follows.
Beans + Grains
Lysine + Methionine
Beans + Nuts
Lysine + Methionine
Grains + Vegetables
Methionine + Lysine
Brewers Yeast + Grains
Lysine + Methionine
If one evenly balanced a consideration of the positive and negative effects of protein sources then “high” quality proteins would be those sources that contain more nutrients than protein such as essential healthy fats and minerals. These are plant sources because fats from mostly plants are the required fats (with the exception of the n-6 arachidonic fat from poultry with some levels in meat). See more on this in the Fatty Acid section.
During pregnancy these foods would be seeds, legumes, nuts, shellfish, wild small seafood, and eggs. Seeds and nuts have healthy fats and minerals in high concentrations as well as B vitamins (depending on which seed/nut). You do not need to consume protein powders, or vegan protein powder, this sort of thing is unnecessary when you consume a wide variety of food, and make conscious efforts to mix your foods in such a way that you are getting all the amino acids. It is also better to consume foods in their whole forms which provides more vitamins and minerals than a refined protein powder.
Amaranth Almond Wraps
Equipment
- 1 cast iron or enamel skillet
- 1 blender optional
Ingredients
- 1 c hemp milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/3 c almond flour
- 1/3 c GF flour blend or use tapioca flour
- 1/3 c teff flour
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the blender, starting with liquid and ending with dry ingredients. Ingredients are listed in the right order to add to the blender.
- The mix must develop for at least 10 minutes, but 30 minutes to overnight is best.
- The batter saves well and develops in flavor stored in a glass jar in the fridge.
- Heat up your pan. If you like you can pour 1 t of olive oil in your pan, but it is not necessary. Oil should be very shiny before adding batter.
- Pour the dough in the batter to cover 4 inches. Tilt the pan so the batter spreads out to cover a 6-8 in area.
- Note, if your oil smokes pour it out and wipe the pan, but do not use water to wash. This actually is a method to prevent sticking to a pan such as copper or stainless steel. The best pan to use is a cast iron skillet that is well seasoned, with this type of pan, or an enamel pan, only a drop of oil, if any, is needed. If you use a stainless steel pan or copper pan, you should heat up the oil until it shimmers.
Teff flour is high in iron and protein. It is an excellent food, along with almond flour, to consume while pregnant or breastfeeding. This recipe is based off the proportions that would be used in a crepe. But the water is left out which makes a crepe a bit thicker than normal, and this makes them function better as a wrap to be filled with avocado and vegetables or a fruit compote.
Wrap Filling Options
American Tofu
Tofu (fried in sesame oil)
Mayo
Cucumber
Garden tomatoes
Cabbage
Sweet Egg and Avocado
Butternut squash (pre-roasted)
Avocado
Curly lettuce or endive
Tomatos
Avocado
Toasted Sunflower Seed
Egg
Simple Butternut Squash and Seeds
Butternut Squash
Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Garden tomatoes
Banana Almond Butter Syrup
Top Flat with
Almond Butter
Blueberry compote sauce
Bananas
Black strap molasses
Nut Free Version
1/3 c amaranth flour, 1/3 c GF flour blend, 1/3 c teff flour, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/8 t guar gum, 2 eggs, 1 c goat milk, (or a thinned coconut milk)
OR 1c coconut milk (fresh, or dilute in a ratio of 1:1 with water for canned coconut milk)
Steps to Mix without a blender:
- Whip eggs real quick. Add milks. Stir in the flour, salt, and soda rapidly to prevent clumping.
- You can premix the dry ingredients, or you can get away with not doing this by sprinkling the baking soda and salt on top, and mixing quickly after each go. Proceed with letting sit 30 minutes, then pouring into hot oil or a non-stick, well seasoned cast iron skillet.
When are complete proteins better than complementary (incomplete) proteins?
The exception to the rule of incomplete proteins being better than complete is for eggs and seafood. This includes eggs of all species because of their high levels of choline, B12, and cholesterol which is needed for your increased needs for bile due to the hyperlipidemic state of pregnancy. Eggs are also 100 percent digestible or have a protein digestibility amino acid score (PDAAC) of 1. There are some flaws with this method of evaluating how much a protein in a food is actually digested, but it gives you an range compared to other foods. Beans are in the 0.7 to 0.78 range for the PDAAC.
Seafood is valuable as a protein source not because it is a complete protein but because of the omega-3 fatty acids it contains, selenium, and high levels of other nutrients. Also seafood has not been shown to contribute to inflammation nor disease.
Regardless of what state you are in, all humans need B12. It is possible to get B12 from bacteria in the soil and this was a large way B12 was obtained in the diet historically, especially before modern agriculture, and when people were in closer contact with plants they consumed, such as growing one’s own food and directly consuming it without washing. But with the use of herbicides and pesticides in the majority of the food supply, it is not possible to obtain the (level of) microorganisms on food as obtained before. The need for B12 is another reason that you should consume real food sources instead of protein powders such as dr gundry protein powder. This are simply a profit making consumer item. Although a pure, flavor and chemical free protein powder can have it’s purposes, this is usually when someone is ill and has a gut issue which prevents them from appropriately assimilating nutrients, or someone who has such sever environmental allergies, that they are reacting poorly to protein foods. Remember that the higher up on the food chain an animal or fish product is, the greater amounts of contaminants that food product will contain, such as petrochemicals, herbicides/pesticides, perchlorates, plastic by products, metals, and other endocrine disruptors.
The advantage to plant proteins is less intake of saturated fats
An imperative factor advocating the transition towards a diet featuring more plant-based proteins lies in the extended presence of long-chain saturated fatty acids found in meat. These fatty acids engage with the body in a manner that triggers inflammation, thereby contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. This becomes particularly crucial when considering the potential impact on the blood vessels responsible for nourishing and sustaining the baby. During pregnancy, the placenta and uterus undergo extended angiogenesis to facilitate optimal blood flow, creating an intricate network vital for the well-being of both the mother and the developing child. It’s imperative to recognize the interconnectedness of dietary choices with this delicate process. Moreover, the excessive consumption of saturated fats has been linked to the onset of diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease. Opting for a diet rich in plant proteins not only supports your overall health but also safeguards the intricate vascular network crucial for the extended angiogenesis in the placenta and uterus, thereby mitigating the risks associated with the adverse effects of saturated fats on various aspects of well-being.
Another consideration of meat high in saturated fat is that this generally lowers the nutrient/calorie ratio. Sometimes it is not the fat that is bad, but the fact that the amount of calories from fat is replacing food from plants that have much more nutrients per calorie. The most crucial thing to remember in pregnancy is it that you only need a few more calories, but a huge increase in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and certain fats).
Nutrition Facts
0 servings per container
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 138 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 6 g | 9 % | |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5 % | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 80 mg | 27 % | |
| Sodium 155 mg | 6 % | |
| Total Carbohydrate 15 g | 5 % | |
| Dietary Fiber 2 g | 8 % | |
| Total Sugars 1 g | ||
| Includes – Added Sugars | ||
| Protein 7 g | 13 % | |
| Vitamin D 23 µg | 155 % |
|---|---|
| Calcium 39 mg | 4 % |
| Iron 1 mg | 8 % |
| Potassium 137 mg | 3 % |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
