Derval O'Rourke: Eating to fuel your life and a recipe for peanut butter protein cups

Protein is vital for a healthy diet and lots of foods have it

If you are actively trying to get more protein, consider a varied way to do this.

I began thinking about my food and how it affected me in my early 20s. It was a reaction to getting sick and needing to re-evaluate how I approached food if I wanted to perform as an athlete. Despite my professional running days being behind me, conversations around the best eating routines for health goals are still something I find fascinating and love to hear what experts are saying.

This week I’ll chat about protein and give some thoughts that you may want to consider for your own approach to how you incorporate protein. I’ll also share a recipe for peanut butter protein cups.

Protein is one of three essential macro-nutrients, alongside carbohydrates and fats. It is a vital aspect of dietary requirements as it repairs tissue damage, helps grow lean muscle, is satiating. and helps with the maintenance of weight. It can also help with the regulation of hormones. Consider protein a building block for your body.

There are 20 amino acids, nine of which are essential and that you must get from your diet. Often good-quality protein will be in fish or chicken because it contains all of the essential amino acids. Vegetarians need to do more food combining to get the essential amino acids that are needed.

The amount of protein that you need depends on many factors including activity level, age, overall health and muscle mass. It is recommended that adults need about 0.75g of protein per kilo of weight, this is considered modest by some experts and research is ongoing in this area.

If you are actively trying to get more protein, consider a varied way to do this. Yes, meat is a good source but there are lots of additional sources too.

One group that dieticians recommend keeping an eye on their protein intake is older people. A part of ageing is a reduction in muscle mass which can have an impact on mobility and being independent. If you are in this group at each meal consider, ‘am I getting a good source of protein here?’

Sources of protein in the diet:

• Peas: Peas are one of my favourite vegetables to have on hand in the freezer. One cup of peas has about 8g of protein. This makes them a great vegetable to add to any pasta dish or stir fry when I’m feeling a little lazy. Not only do they add a burst of sweetness but they bulk up a meal with protein.
• Chia seeds: Chia seeds are a food that I love to have. One tablespoon has almost 2g of protein, which might not seem like a lot, but can be a great way to add in a little extra protein to a smoothie, yoghurt or a salad. You can bulk this up by making a chia seed dessert which some recipes state has up to 20g of protein.
• Pumpkin seeds: One cup of pumpkin seeds contains 12g of protein. Not that anyone would be eating a whole cup of seeds, but when added to salads, granola or into baked goods like cookies, you can really sneak in some extra protein.
• Edamame: Edamame is another great food to have in the freezer. Similar to peas they are very high in protein at about 17g per cup, are great to add to any stirfry or rice bowl and make a nice pre-dinner snack.
• Beans (particularly black beans): I love tinned beans, as they keep for a long time in the press and are very easy to add to a number of recipes such as a pot of chilli, Mexican-style veg or salads.
• Lentils: While green, brown and red lentils are all high in protein, red comes out the highest at about 12g for each quarter cup. There are a lot of recipes that are lentil-specific but they are also a great meat replacement for things such as bolognese or chilli. Lentils are great for bulking up a meal or making the meat go a longer way.
• Nuts and nut butters: Nuts and nut butters are quite high in protein. A tablespoon of peanut butter has about 5g to 6g of protein. This makes for a delicious snack. I also like to add a spoonful to salads or noodles for a delicious peanut/satay-style sauce.

If you are concerned at all about your protein intake, it’s always a good idea to discuss this with a professional to help guide you.

Wellness Tip:

Start thinking about foods you would not normally eat and consider ways to add them into your diet for variety.

Fitness Tip: Keep an eye on your shoes and exercise equipment. Shoes can wear down and lose cushioning overtime, this can cause issues to your feet and legs. Make sure you replace them if this happens.

Peanut butter protein cups

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

These cups will keep in an airtight container, in the fridge, for one week. Or freeze for up to three months.

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 380g peanut smooth butter

• 100g coconut oil

• 80g honey or maple syrup

• 100g vanilla protein powder

• 80g oats

• 150g dark chocolate to finish

Method

1. Prepare the mini muffin moulds with paper cases.

2. In a medium pot, melt the peanut butter, coconut oil and honey gently over a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon, it should be loose and runny.

3. Take the pot off the heat. Pour in the oats and protein powder, give it a really good mix.

4. Spoon evenly into the muffin cases, if there is extra mix fill some more muffin cases.

5. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

6. Next, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.

7. Once melted, carefully spoon onto the top of the peanut mix.

8. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

9. Enjoy.

10. These cups will keep in an airtight container, in the fridge, for one week. Or freeze for up to three months.