Tempeh Talk

Happy Thursday everyone! Is it really March? Can you believe it?

I got my morning run in today! Thursdays have been pretty good for me for getting in the morning workout. My motto for this morning’s run:

I kept repeating over and over in my head, “You don’t have to run fast, just run.” It got me through 3 miles!

So, remember a couple of days ago when I briefly  mentioned I had experimented with Tempeh for the first time and flashed you this picture?

Well, it’s time to talk about it! It’s tempeh talk time! Organic tempeh was another one of the purchases I made at Whole Foods a couple of weeks back. The brand I bought is called Lightlife. As mentioned previously, I have never eaten tempeh but have been very curious about it.

So, what is Tempeh?

Tempeh, pronounced “temp-pay,”  is a product of soybeans. The ingredients are: cultured organic soybeans, water, lactic acids (from plant sources), and organic brown rice.

Nutritional Value

What stood out to me the most when viewing the nutrition label was the insane amount of protein. In each serving (a half of a package with this particular brand), it packs 22 grams of protein which is incredible! Also, it is fiber-filled with 12 grams per serving. Here is how the rest of it stacked up. These nutrition facts are straight from Lightlife’s website.

Nutrition: Amount per Serving Percentage Daily Value
Calories 230
Calories from Fat 70
Fat, g 8 12%
Saturated Fat, g 1.5 8%
Trans Fatty Acids, g 0
Cholesterol, mg 0
Sodium, mg 10
Potassium, mg* 380 11%
Carbohydrate, g 16 5%
Fiber, g 12 48%
Sugars, g <1
Protein, g 22 44%
Vitamin A, % 0%
Vitamin C, % 0%
Calcium, % 15%
Iron, % 20%

How do you use it?

Considering this was my first time ever cooking with tempeh, I am by no means an expert with this stuff. I used it in a marinara sauce and it really tasted a lot like having ground turkey in the sauce. All I did to prepare it was brown it in a pan as you would ground turkey or ground beef, making sure to break it up into small pieces. Cook it long enough to see it start to brown slightly. I then added diced onions and sautéed until tender, next sliced mushrooms, garlic powder, some italian seasonings, and lastly a jar of Prego Veggie Smart Marinara Sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until headed through. Voila, awesome vegetarian pasta sauce with LOTS of protein! I added the sauce to some vegetable noodles, and topped it with some grated parmesan cheese. I also added two chopped up green olives on top which I REALLY enjoy! I really like olives though.

There are millions of other ways to use it. Use it in soups, chili, tacos, salads, sloppy joes….I am learning so many new ways to use it by browsing Lightlife’s website and good ol’ Google.

My Review

I really enjoyed this product! I was afraid the tempeh would give a weird flavor to the sauce, but it didn’t at all. It really took on the flavor of the sauce and had a nice texture somewhat similar to a cooked lentil. If you feel like trying something new, I would highly recommend this. I would recommend it over tofu in fact. I like that it is more firm than tofu (even the extra firm tofu). I love trying new things!

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Breakfast on leap day morning started out with an oldie but goodie. PB banana “sandwich”, served with a side of Special K with Strawberries (I went back for more cereal, twice).

For lunch I whipped together a very delicious salad with mixed greens, banana pepper, mushrooms, tomato, avocado, peas, and feta cheese. I topped it with my favorite Honey Mustard. This photo below was actually from dinner the night before because I forgot to take one from lunch. It was very similar though but you will notice a few differences. Whoopsie!

I also had some green grapes, a little bit of kettle corn, and a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter. I definitely ate too much for lunch. I was FULL.

For dinner I met up with the fam bam and had my mama’s famous chili. It tasted extremely delicious. You know how some times certain foods taste better than other times? Well, it was one of those times where it tasted absolutely AMAZING. Mmmm…so comforting especially since it was kind of messy outside. Tuesday night we got hit with a bunch of rain, which eventually turned into snow, and then turned into rain again. Luckily, the temperatures have mostly remained above freezing so we haven’t been stuck with an ice rink outside. I snapped a couple of pictures from the rain on Tuesday that was starting to freeze a little on the trees. I thought it was pretty.

Oh, the simple pleasures, right?

I am starting to get back on track with workouts, however, I am slacking on the strength training part! There are no excuses, I need to get back into it. I was doing so well for almost a month and starting to notice a difference in my strength. I need to make time. You guys are my witnesses, I said it. Hold me accountable! 😉

Alright, I’m off to work. Have a great day everybody!

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