The Smoothie Vegetarians

OK, OK, so bean's are not a fruit; it's technically a seed...but boy, oh boy, are they magical! Seriously! I'm not kidding! Here let me prove it to you. Today we will be focusing on beans, and particularly how they stack up against beef. Take notes, so the next time you are asked, "but how do you get your protein," you will have a whole arsenal in your back pocket.  Let's start with all the amazing things beans in general have, and can do. Beans are complex carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes, which means they will make you feel full for longer - a bonus if you are trying to lose weight. This is credited to them being high in fiber, which will not only prevent constipation, but reduce your risk of colon cancer and digestive health disorders. Many American's do not get enough fiber, yet 1 cup of beans gives you half of your daily recommended dose; which is 21 - 25 grams in case you were wondering. Because it is a complex carbohydrate with h...

By now I am sure you have heard of the Beyond Burger, produced by Beyond Meat, seeing as the whole plant-based world is going bananas for it! On its packaging it claims to be, 'A new breed of burger - Made from plants. The Beyond Burger is juicy, meaty and delicious; offering all the upsides of a plant-based meal'. It is advertised to be so like beef patties that they are carried in the meat section of the grocery store!  But how realistic is it?           I set out to find out. First I had to find where they were even being sold. Using the store locator conveniently on Beyond Meat's website I quickly learned there weren't any in my area; so far only 3000 stores in the United States even carry them! Luckily I found the patties on a trip to visit my family in the bay area, wrapped them in ice, and headed back home to prepare them.          Now the patties were not an exact match to the physica...