Blog #4: The Power of Plants
Maia B V -
Hey fans,
Hope everyone is having an amazing week! Let’s get into this weeks blog:
Like every week Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I was in the kitchen cheffing it up. I also decided to experiment with a new role in the dining room where I worked more closely with Miriam’s Kitchen guests and would do a lot of the personal serving and manage all of the drink stations.
I also created and developed my second recipe of the week— Korean bulgogi rice bowls! I chose to make this dish because they’re versatile, allowing for a variety of toppings and vegetables, each bringing different nutrients to the meal. I also knew it could be easily recreated for large groups of people, especially in a line kitchen like Miriam’s kitchen.
Here’s how developing this recipe went:
I first began to research alternatives to meat and the health benefits or downsides that it could bring. Here is a summary of what I found reading with: The Good Food Institute:
- Food Processing:
Processing food isn’t always a bad thing. The main idea is just not adding anything sketchy or taking away the good stuff. Like with cacao beans—when they’re processed, the cocoa butter (which has a lot of saturated fat) gets taken out, and you’re left with cocoa powder that actually has some solid health benefits, like anti-inflammatory properties. So in that case, processing makes it better.
But ultra-processed foods are a different story. That’s when things get taken to the extreme to make stuff like chips, soda, and candy taste super good but not be great for you. They usually have way more sugar, fat, and salt—and not much fiber or real nutrients. That’s why snacks like fruit, veggies, or nuts are usually a better move.
While fake meat is processed similar to things like chips and candy bars, it’s still not worse for you than regular meat. That’s because it has less saturated fat (linked to cardiovascular disease), so it can actually improve your diet significantly compared to regular meat.
In fact, GFI stated: “The average American gets less than half their recommended daily value of dietary fiber, but subbing plant-based meat for conventional can help close this gap. A 2021 randomized controlled trial found that replacing conventional meat with plant-based meat about five times per week increased participants’ weekly fiber consumption by an average of approximately 19 grams and increased fiber-metabolizing pathways in their gut microbiota.”
All in all, meat substitutes are actually better for you with lower saturated fat, same protein intake, no meat preservatives (used in things like hot dogs), and the ability to include more dietary fibers.
- Korean Beef Bulgogi Bowls Toppings:
For this recipe I decided on a variety of different vegetable toppings that would increase the amount of nutrients, fiber, and vitamins for this dish.
Peppers (especially red, yellow, or orange):
- Vitamin C – supports immune health and helps absorb iron from the beef and spinach.
- Antioxidants – like beta-carotene and other carotenoids, which help fight inflammation.
- Fiber – good for digestion and keeping you full
Spinach:
- Iron – helps transport oxygen in the blood (and pairs well with vitamin C from peppers for better absorption).
- Folate – key for cell function and repair.
- Vitamin K – supports bone health.
- Magnesium & potassium – important for muscle and nerve function.
Onions:
- Antioxidants – especially quercetin, which has anti-inflammatory effects.
- Prebiotics – support gut health by feeding good bacteria.
- Flavor enhancer – which means you might use less salt.
Mushrooms:
- B vitamins – like riboflavin and niacin, great for energy metabolism.
Selenium & copper – minerals that support your immune system and antioxidant defenses. - Umami flavor – which can make the dish more satisfying without needing extra fat or salt.
- Overall Benefits:
This dish includes a complete protein! Like we’ve covered before, rice by itself is not a complete protein, however, some fake meat brands can actually be a complete protein by itself (as many are made with different plant proteins like soy and pea protein). When paired with rice and a variety of vegetables that each have different health properties including different sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Other important things to mention that I did in the past week include;
- Chapter 4 “Flavor-ama”: This week I learned about the average acidity of sour ingredients and different acidity levels and how that affects the way dishes taste. For example, hibiscus and tamarind are two different fruits that when steeped with water can create high acidity levels perfect for sauces, drinks, and dishes.
- I scheduled a meeting with a nutritionist that also owns a food science consulting group! I’m super excited to let you guys know what I am able to find from that.
Ok guys, that’s a wrap! Below is a photo of the dish I made for the week which was so delicious, per usual. Thanks for sticking with me and I’m looking forward to next week.
Comments:
All viewpoints are welcome but profane, threatening, disrespectful, or harassing comments will not be tolerated and are subject to moderation up to, and including, full deletion.