Vegan Wednesday: A Bowl Full of Protein-Packed Pasta for Plant-Based Recovery!!

It's baaaack!  The fabulous @heart-to-heart is back on the #veganwednesday mission!  Check out the welcome back post to join in on the fun!  Besides @lenasveganliving's #fruitsandveggiesmonday, this was one of the first contests I joined here on Steemit.  It was a great way to flex my writing muscles and even more so to meet lots of like-minded people.  The vegan community has exploded since the last time the contest was going, so there should be even more great entries this time around.

To celebrate the return of this wonderful contest, I'm going to touch once again on how eliminating animal products from my diet has helped improve my health on the fitness end of things.  Since I am training for a few half marathons this spring, recovery is a very important aspect of my routine.  I can put lots of energy into my running, strength training and mobility work, but if I am not fueling my body correctly it will break down and not let me perform to my fullest potential.

There are a number of ways a vegan diet can help with your fitness.  For one, animal products can be very acidic (especially dairy) and inflammatory, so just by eliminating those foods your body will be able to put more energy into healing the effects of training.  Meat can also be heavy to digest so it is not ideal for fast fuel either pre- or -post-workout.  If you replace those foods with lots of nutrient-packed plants you will be doing even more to promote healing and reduce inflammation in the body.  All of the foods that are most known for promoting health in the body are derived from plants--things like leafy greens, berries, celery, and spices like ginger, turmeric and cinnamon.

Of course every person is different, so you have to find what works best for you!  I can only speak for myself in that I know I do not get as sore after workouts since adjusting my diet.  Obviously if I'm working hard enough I do get muscle soreness, but it does not last as long or feel as severe as it used to before.  With the amount of energy I expend on long runs paired with my weekly strength training, whole food carbs are my body's favorite fuel.  I started amping up my fruit intake even more than usual recently and I think that is helping with my recovery, as well.  When I start getting to runs longer than 90 minutes I bring dates with me to give a little boost to help me maintain my energy in the later stages of the run.  I tried different gels and chews in the past but they always bothered my stomach, so why mess with a natural form of energy in a perfect sweet package?

Of course I try to eat plenty of plant-based protein to ensure I am consuming all of my essential amino acids for muscle repair and growth.  The theory that you have to eat complementary proteins in the same meal has long been debunked, but it is important to take in varied forms of protein sources throughout the week.  I happily consume all different types of beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.  Pretty much everything has a little bit of protein in it, but those are the big sources.  The bonus of plant-based protein is that it generally comes with a healthy serving of fiber, too!

This pasta was a great source of healthy calories, carbs and protein along with a little bonus turmeric and greens to help my body recover from the 10-mile run I did yesterday.  I think it also made a nice pre-Valentine's Day meal for @dksart. ;)  I used the edamame pasta I have shared in a previous recipe, but you can substitute lentil, chickpea or quinoa pasta.  I made use of my food processor to put this meal together even faster, and I like the texture of finely chopped veggies in a pasta sauce sometimes.

One-Pot Edamame Spaghetti with Red Lentil Ragu

Makes 8 servings

• 1 red onion, peeled & minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, minced
• 3 stalks celery, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes (about 3 cups chopped)
• 1/3 cup organic tomato paste
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 16 ounces edamame spaghetti
• 5 ounces arugula, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Using a food processor if you can, finely chop your onions, garlic, celery and carrots.  Heat up a large stockpot over medium heat and add in your vegetables.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until starting to soften.

Next add in the tomatoes through the pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  You are going to cook your pasta right in the sauce, so it should not be too thick.

Once the lentils are soft, add in your pasta.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through and your sauce has thickened up.  Add more water if needed.

Remove from heat and mix in the arugula and nutritional yeast.  Enjoy!

If you want to see more healthy meals that would be great for recovery, keep checking out the #makeithealthy tag started by the wonderful @woman-onthe-wing!  There are some great things continuing to be shared!

What are your favorite recovery foods??