protein packed lentil stew recipe

Protein-Packed Lentil Stew

I like to make this stew on a Sunday, then I have it ready for lunches or dinners during the week. It’s packed with nutrients, including a ton of protein. It’s also low calorie, high fiber, and low fat.

There is no exactly amount of veggies. It all depends on how many you want in your stew. I always throw in more rather than less.

Chop:

• Celery
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Yellow onion

In a large sauce pan add chopped veggies to:

• 1 carton low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups lentils
• ½ cup brown rice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook:
Let soup cook on high until boiling.
Turn down to low, cover pot and let cook for 1 hour or until lentils are soft.

An easy to follow, (no fasting allowed) plan for attaining a fabulous body,
inside and out.

WHAT IS THE FIT VEGAN CHALLENGE?

1. Make one meal each day a healthy, vegan one.
2. Incorporate the “calorie burner of the week” into your fitness regime.

WHY VEGAN?

A few benefits of plant-based foods:

• Speed Weight Loss
  “A plant-based diet revs your metabolism, causing you to burn calories up to 16% faster that you would on a non plant-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.” – New York Times Bestselling author, Kathy Freston
• Boost Energy & Brighten Complexion
  The wide array of antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients in plants provide an array of benefits including overall increased energy and the repairing and protecting of cells to reveal glowing, clear skin. – USDA
• Contribute to a Lifetime of Optimum Health
  Those who eat generous amounts of plant-based foods are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke. cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. – USDA (choosemyplate.gov)

Vegan Meal of the Week:

Make lunch or dinner a DELICIOUS, healthy vegan meal (unrefined grains, beans, legumes, veggies, fruit, non GMO tofu, tempeh). No meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. Each week I’ll provide one vegan meal option and one substitution or healthy addition to incorporate into your daily menu to help you feel satisfied and never deprived.

Enjoy!

Substitution of the Week:

Swap out your usual soy sauce with Braggs Liquid Aminos. Traditional sauce is very high in sodium and can also contain sugar. Braggs is a much healthier substitution and excellent addition to a vegan diet.

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate, derived from healthy soybeans, that contains the following Essential and Non-essential Amino Acids in naturally occurring amounts:

Calorie Burner of the Week:

This is one of my favorite exercises for women because it dramatically strengthens and tones the glutes and hamstrings. For best fat-burning results, be sure to choose a weight that challenges your muscles. If you feel like you could easily do more than 10 reps, you need to use heavier dumbbells.

How to do it:

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and hold them at arm’s length in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
2. Without changing the bend in your knees, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor (keep the weights as close to your body as possible).
3. Pause, then return to standing. Your back should stay naturally arched during the entire movement.

Do 10 reps with a challenging weight (15 to 40lbs depending on your fitness ability).

Green Reason of the Week:

“A study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, said: “We found that a higher intake of red meat was associated with a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.”

-BBC News

Motivation of the Week:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

–Mark Twain

For more recipes, fitness tips, and workouts visit www.noratobin.com and follow me on Twitter @NoraTobin.

Click here for previous Fit Vegan Challenge posts.

Nora Tobin grew up in the High Sierra’s on Lake Tahoe, where she spent most of her childhood outdoors- hiking, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, rock climbing, and white water rafting.

Nora is a GNC Brand Ambassador and a weekly contributor to SHAPE. She is a NASM certified personal trainer and currently working towards certification as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist.

Nora is the creator of a unique fitness program that incorporates yoga, weight training, stand up paddle, beach boot camps, hiking, running, sports specific training, as well as nutrition information and meal plans, for ages ranging from 5 to 70. She is writing a fitness book currently slated for publication that will serve as a manual for a knockout body, peaceful mind, and better planet. Nora has competed on the AVP, CBVA, Corona Wide Open, and GAV beach volleyball tours.

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