by Bree Landherr, nutrition student volunteer
Did you know?
Consuming healthy protein in sufficient amounts is important for all, and especially during periods of growth such as childhood, adolescence and pregnancy. It has also been found to be beneficial during aging, for optimal muscle maintenance, and during injury healing. Protein forms the building blocks for new cells, and has the benefit of triggering our body's sensation of satiety.
As you make your way around the FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace, keep an eye out for these companies that provide healthy options for protein! Here are a few of those businesses along with some facts about protein:
Ferndale Market (Cannon Falls, MN)- Turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving! Free range turkey that are rotated onto fresh pasture each week and antibiotic free.
Fun fact: one 3 ounce serving of turkey of has 24 grams lean protein
Hidden Stream Farm (Elgin, MN) offers chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and seasonal vegetables. This environmentally friendly farm uses regenerative farming practices without chemicals or antibiotics.
Fun fact: one 3 ounce serving of chicken breast contains 23 grams of lean protein
3 Bear Oats (Minneapolis, MN) has up to 14 grams protein in their Bacon, Cheese & Maple Syrup Oats. Alpine Trek is a vegan option that contains dark chocolate, peanut butter, banana chips and has 12 grams of protein. They are an environmentally conscious company with simple and recyclable overwrap and compostable bowls.
3 Cricketeers (Minneapolis, MN) offers a Cricket Protein Powder that can be put into shakes, add it to soups or even substituted for up to 1/3 of your flour. Fun fact: 2 packed tablespoons of Cricket Protein Powder offer 16g protein.
American Hazelnut Co. (Gays Mills, WI) offers a protein-pack snacks such as their spicy maple hazelnuts, and hazelnut oil and flour. This environmentally conscious company is working to restore the oak savanna ecosystem biome of the Upper Midwest with these trees. Fun fact: 1 cup of hazelnuts has 20 grams of protein.
CannonBelles Cheese (Cannon Falls, MN) offers unique flavors that can’t be found anywhere else in MN, such as their Tuscan Cheddar. Fun fact: one 3 ounce slice of cheddar cheese has 21 grams of protein.
Churchill Reserve (Cannon Falls, MN) offers 100% Grass Fed Beef. This environmentally conscious company utilizes regenerative practices that produce healthy cows and nutrient-dense beef. Fun fact: one 4 ounce serving ground beef provides 16.3 grams protein.
Isadore Nut Co. (Golden Valley, MN) offers nuts such as their Chai Pecans or Lemon Rosemary Cashews, Pecans, and Walnuts. This company’s roots began with the approach that “food is medicine”. This company sources the nuts from farms that participate in organic and fair trade practices. Fun fact: One 3 ounce serving of cashews contains 15 grams of protein.
Metz’s Hart-land Creamery (Rushford, MN)- offers cheese, gelato and honey. This is a family farm started in 1983 as a dairy farm and grew to also produce honey and dairy products. Fun fact: one 3 ounce slice of cheddar cheese has 21 grams of protein.
Hart Country Meats (Hart, MN) – This beef originates from two farmwives raising angus cattle on their farms. They don’t use added hormones or antibiotics, and the beef is grass and hay fed and finished with corn for delicious marbling. Fun fact: A 3 ounce serving of steak 21.1 grams of protein.
UFisheries (Minneapolis, MN) is a 100% woman owned business offers artisanal, small batch, smoked wild Alaskan salmon (jerkey and stews), Fun fact: a 3 ounce serving of salmon has 22 grams of protein.
The Meatery (Mankato, MN) connects local consumers with quality meat sources and offers way to enjoy meat. Boxes are curated by local farms, butcher shops, and markets to offer a variety of ways to enjoy meat. Fun fact: 3 slices of bacon has 9 grams of protein.
Learn more and find links to these businesses on the Directory
Bree Landherr is a part-time student studying nutrition as an undergraduate student from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After receiving an undergraduate in Environmental Biology and a graduate degree in Biological Sciences she spent a few years developing a passion for local food systems and learning about how food is raised. As a biologist Bree believes the happiest and healthiest animals are those that consume their food in a way that is consistent with their metabolism and for humans that can look very different. In her time when she is not in school Bree works full-time as a Water Quality Analyst, spends most of her time chasing around her two kids, and enjoys physical fitness whether it be home workouts or bicycling along the Mississippi River. Bree hopes to become a Registered Dietician Nutritionist so she can work with individuals to discover their own optimal diet and live life to their fullest potential.