Quality Protein Sources and Asian Meatball Recipe
By Michelle Sala, Certified Integrative Health Coach
Finding quality protein at a good price, especially if you are feeding a lot of people, is difficult. We’ve seen a dramatic rise in grocery prices since the pandemic lockdowns began. Most of us resort to conventionally raised beef, pork and chicken, however, these protein sources are not the best for our health. Conventionally raise animals live in stressful, unhealthy environments, and eat genetically modified feed sprayed with glyphosate, and are often given antibiotics. You are what the animal eats!
Organic, grass-fed, cage-free
Some great sources of organic and grass-fed options are stores like Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Costco. Trader Joe’s doesn’t have organic pork, but it is crate-free and raised humanely. Look for Free-Range, Pasture-Raised, Humanely Raised, and/or Organic when buying animal protein. Regarding chickens, cage-free doesn’t mean much. Hundreds of chickens could be crammed in a big shed wing to wing. They aren’t technically in a cage, but this is not healthy living conditions for chickens.
Corn & antibiotics make animals and people fat
Animals that don’t eat a diet that is not natural for them, like chickens and conventionally raised, corn-fed beef, are not as healthy as their pasture-raised counterparts. Cattle was never meant to eat corn. Ranchers finish beef with corn because it makes them fatter faster. Also, it was discovered many years ago that antibiotics also fatten up cattle and it is regularly added to feed from the beginning of their lives. When we eat these animals, we also get a dose of these antibiotics which makes changes in our gut microbiome and makes us fatter and sicker. [1]
Chickens
When buying chicken and eggs, look for organic and pasture-raised. Beware of egg cartons that say Organic and/or All Vegetarian Fed. Chickens are not vegetarians. When they are outside hanging out in a pasture, they eat worms and other insects. This is part of their natural diet. Chickens that are fed a low quality diet have very pale yolks, while high quality, pasture-raised chickens, have yolks that are sometimes as dark as orange. This is a sign that the eggs are higher in omega-3 fats, vitamin A, vitamin D, and beta-carotene. [2] The dietary cholesterol in eggs in nothing to worry about.
Asian meatball recipe with organic ground turkey
I don’t eat a lot of turkey, but I developed this recipe from organic ground turkey which is a nice change from all the beef, lamb, and pork that I eat regularly. I really like Vietnamese Bun (cold noodle salad) with the egg rolls, but they are fried in bad oils and not healthy. I re-created the taste of the filling in the egg rolls and made meatballs. These meatballs are delicious and can be eaten with a salad, in a Vietnamese Bun style noodle salad, or in a soup. I hope you enjoy these tasty little treats! Get recipe here.
About Michelle
Michelle Sala is a Certified Integrative Health Coach and True Cellular Detox™ Practitioner. She can help you get to the root cause of your health issues, beat weight loss resistance, and learn a lifestyle that can help turn back the clock! She is available for a 30-minute complimentary consultation. You can contact her here.
[1] Antibiotics Linked to Weight Gain – Scientific American
Additional Reading: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (marksdailyapple.com)
