Aside from saving resources and cutting down pollution, a plant-based diet can also reduce the likelihood of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It is anti-inflammatory, and high in fiber and digestive enzymes. And it is easier to grow at home!
Grow your own
When you tell somebody you don’t eat meat, the first thing they ask is, ‘How do you get your protein?’ Well, meat is not the only source! Many vegetables are high in protein, and by eating a varied diet, you will get more than enough for your body to function and grow properly. On average, men need 56 grams a day, and women need 46 grams a day.
Here are six high-protein plants that are easy to grow:
Dry Beans – 1 cup (most types) = 16g, except soybeans, which have 29g per cup. Beans are low in fat and high in fiber. Plant after your last frost. They are cold sensitive, and need a long hot season to mature.
Peas – 1 cup = 8g. Peas are high in fiber and vitamin C. They are a cool weather crop for spring and fall planting.
Sunflower seeds – 1/4 cup = 6 g. Sunflower seeds provide fat in a meatless diet. There are many edible varieties for the garden now.
Kale – 1 cup = 2.9g. Kale is an excellent source of calcium, vitamins C and K, and lots of minerals. Planted in the spring, it will produce all summer, and get sweeter after a frost in the fall.
Broccoli – 1 cup = 2.5g. Broccoli is a great source of vitamin C and fiber. It is a cool weather crop for spring and fall planting.
Spinach – 1 cup = 1g. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and is high in fiber. Plant in early spring and late summer for fall harvest. It loves cool weather, and bolts in the heat.
If you want to be adventurous in the garden, try these other high protein vegetables:
- Quinoa
- Corn
- Peanuts
- Asparagus
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cauliflower
Here are some high protein fruits to try, depending on where you live:
- Apricots
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Peaches
- Cantaloupe
- Avocados
- Raisins (grapes)
- Prunes (plums)
Every spring, you spend countless hours (not to mention many dollars) on improving your vegetable beds and planting them in anticipation of a bountiful harvest a few months down the road. What if you could add to your harvest without the annual work? If that sounds appealing, grow some perennial crops from organic seeds!
Benefits
- Think about your perennial flowers and shrubs that come back every spring. They are low maintenance compared to your vegetable garden. Once in place, they continue to flower. They just need to be weeded, mulched, and have a layer of compost added each year. You can’t say that about a bed of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and zucchini!
- The garden season is longer. Many perennial greens are ready for harvest in spring, while the rest of the yard is still bare. Others are harvested into the late fall, long after annuals have been killed by frost.
- Because perennial crops have deeper root systems than annuals, they hold the soil in place, reducing erosion and runoff. They protect the soil from pounding rain and allow the water to soak in. They also tap into deep nutrients and water not available to shallow rooted plants, which means they need less supplemental fertilizer and watering. You save money and water! When the tops of the plants die back in the fall, the decomposing debris builds up the topsoil and adds nutrients, not unlike leaf litter in the forest.
- A perennial food garden creates biodiversity in your yard. The more species you have, the more pollinators and wildlife you will attract. Your garden will be more resilient to pests, disease, and extreme weather patterns of heat, cold, drought, and flooding. A polyculture is a healthy ecosystem.
