High-Protein Desserts

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Do you want to eat like it matters but think you can't afford to? Linda Watson shows you how with her Cook for Good website, which includes free recipes, shopping lists, videos, and tips for cooking delicious, healthy, seasonal food on a budget. She's the author of Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet--All on $5 a Day or Less.

Oh, the glories of summer tomatoes, corn, peppers, and berries! Sometimes, I just want to eat a big salad for dinner. That's where high-protein desserts like today's recipe for Blueberry Clafoutis come in handy. It's a great way to get your family to eat fruit and eggs. We have it for dinner one night and then for breakfast the next day.

High-protein desserts.

How much protein does the average adult need? Nutritionist Jane Brody says 36 grams of protein a day if your ideal weight is 100 pounds, 54 grams if it's 150, and 72 grams if it's 200 pounds. Ironically, too much protein can actually lead to osteoporosis and other problems. So you don't need to eat a Triple Patty MacWhopper twice a day (or ever) to get your protein. But some cookbooks take too casual an approach to getting enough. True, even apples contain protein, but in developing the Cook for Good menu, I found it easy to drift below my goal of 50 to 60 grams a day.

To the rescue: high-protein desserts. Have a big salad or bowl of gazpacho for dinner, then top it off with a dessert that includes nuts, eggs, milk, yogurt, or even high-protein grains like couscous.

This is my last day as a guest blogger here at DrGreene.com, so I can't give you a preview of tomorrow's recipe. But it's been great fun! If you enjoyed my recipes and tips, please sign up for the free weekly newsletter on CookforGood.com. It will help you save money, eat well, and make a difference!

Today, tell us about your favorite high-protein recipes in the comments section below. What's your go-to treat after a big salad?

Blueberry Clafoutis Recipe

Clafoutis (clah-FOO-tee) is a delicious, elegant, and nutritious dessert. Think of it as a fancy baked blueberry pancake. It’s good warm or at room temperature. Use this treat to add protein to a summer salad meal. The classic French recipe uses cherries, but this version is even easier, since you don't have to pit blueberries.

blueberry clafoutis, a fruit-filled eggy pancake

Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

½ cup blueberries
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon balm leaves or zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons sugar (used in three steps as 2 T, 2 T, and 1 T)
½ cup all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter

Method

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July 23, 2010
Note: This Perspectives Blog post is written by a Guest Blogger of DrGreene.com and is provided in order to offer a variety of thoughtful points of view. The opinions expressed on this Perspectives Blog post do not reflect the opinions of Dr. Greene or DrGreene.com. As such, Dr. Greene and DrGreene.com are not responsible for the accuracy of the information supplied. This post is used under Creative Commons License CC BY-ND 3.0.