When it comes to protein, meat isn't your only option. In fact, here are plenty of other foods that come with protein.

   "The animal protein is fine, but we do recommend that you look at the package that it comes with," says Dr. Heather Pena, medical director of St. Helena Center for Health. "One of the big messages about protein is . . . are you getting a lot of nutrients along with your protein?"
  
   Plants contain plenty of it, as well as other nutrients, points out Pena, who recently gave a presentation on healthy protein at a conference in California jointly sponsored by Harvard Medical School and the Culinary Institute of America. Consider this: If you compare 100 calories of beef, spinach, beans and broccoli, the serving of spinach will deliver the most protein, with 13 grams, Pena said in a recent phone interview. Broccoli comes in second with 10 grams, and the meat -- all 11/2 ounces of it -- has 8 grams.

   While people usually eat more meat than that, Pena says that 100 calories of spinach is a filling 2 cups, with far fewer calories and far less saturated fat than a similar-sized serving of meat.

   "We're not trying to make people vegetarians. We're just trying to bump up people's plant intakes," she says.
Here's a recipe that Pena and her colleagues shared at the conference:

    Penne with Pistachio Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

   Place 8 ounces of roasted, shelled, unsalted pistachios, 1 cup of fresh mint leaves, 1/4 cup of fresh grated Pecorino cheese and 1 large clove of minced garlic in a food processor and process until minced.

   Add 1/2 cup reduced-fat silken tofu and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Process until smooth.
   
   With processor on, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil through the food chute and process.
   
   Combine 4 cups of cooked multigrain penne pasta (8 ounces dry), 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes and pesto in a large bowl. Toss gently.

   Thin with remaining pasta water as needed.

--