​CHICKPEAS

These have to be some of my favourite sources of protein because they are so versatile. They're easy to add to soups, stews, and curries, and can be blended up to make hummus which is also a nutritious and protein packed snack. 

BEANS / PULSES

Another super easy way to add protein to your diet is with beans / pulses. Much like chickpeas, you can add beans / pulses to pretty much any dish. Beans make great fillers in chilis and soups whereas lentils are an easy add in as well. You can also make a mean bolognese sauce with lentils for extra protein in your pasta dishes.

SOY MEATS

I can't tell you how far these products have come since I became a vegetarian 17 years ago. You can find a meat substitute for basically anything you would have eaten as a meat eater. Burgers, sausages, and meaty crumble are great ways to get your protein fix while also enjoying some of your favourite dishes from before you gave up meat.

GOJI / ACAI BERRY products - Both the goji berry and acai berry have wonderful health benefits including antioxidants that have been studied for their anti cancer benefits. There is no denying that these berries are super good for you but there's a few problems with them. First of all, availability would be the first issue. Both products are not run of the mill which means you will have to hunt around for them even resorting to ordering them online if you can't find them locally. Secondly, they are significantly more expensive than their readily available counterparts such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. The fact is, all berries have antioxidants that have been studied for anti-cancer properties so there really isn't any justification for spending significantly more on goji / acai products. Look, if you can find them locally and they don't break the bank, definitely pick them up because there's no denying their health benefits, but you're safe to stick to good old blueberries to get those same antioxidant benefits.

Pre-Made Smoothies / Juices - Enjoying a smoothie or fresh pressed juice at home is a great way to load up on vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. A morning smoothie if made correctly, can have serious health benefits and they're super easy to include in your daily routine. When it comes to store bought smoothies / juices, the problem is that you cannot control how much sugar is in these products. When it comes to store bought smoothies, they're often extremely fruit forward which sounds innocent enough until you consider the sugar content. Even if the bottle includes only natural sugars, those natural sugars can still be dangerous. Some of these bottled smoothies have over 10 teaspoons of sugar per bottle which pretty much negates the health benefits. As for juices, it's the same problem except you also lose out on the fiber from the fruit / veg.
Stick to home made smoothies and always try to keep it balanced. One extremely sweet fruit like pineapples will sweeten up a smoothie comprised of mostly veggies. With juices it's the same idea, stick to apples for sweetness and let the veggies do the talking otherwise.

COCONUT WATER vs WATER - Coconut water is super tasty and is being touted as more hydrating, refreshing, and better for post workout thirst than regular water. Several tests have determined that most of that is simply untrue. As far as hydration, both coconut water and regular water hydrate equally with no significant difference between them. Coconut water does provide electrolytes and potassium that are beneficial but several articles have said save the money, drink water, and eat a banana, and you'll get more benefits out of that. Look, it's undeniably tasty but if you're drinking it over water expecting some kind of miraculous benefits from it, you'd be sadly mistaken.