My Favorite Natto Breakfast

 The collection of Natto at Chang-Li Supermarket seems to be growing. 

This particular brand is organic, and it comes in two varieties with a subtly different flavor. One is made with whole soybean halves, and the wrapper is a darker green, the other is made with broken up soybeans, and seems to have a lighter flavor, which I think I prefer.

My favorite breakfast at the moment is Natto with a mixture of brown Basmati and black rice, plus about 3 scallions and some chives (can't find them fresh, so I use the dried kind).

Since everyone always gets concerned about protein, which is typically over-emphasized in traditional nutrition. To refresh the reader, Whole Foods, Plant-Based nutrition rests on the knowledge that an adult male, requires only about 10-12% of calories from protein, and and adult woman can get by on even less in a pinch, but it is very hard to get below 10-12% no matter how hard you try.

The total concept of #WFPB nutrition is:

• 10% of calories from naturally occurring fats/oils (beans etc)
• 10% of calories from (plant-) protein
• 80% of calories from complex carbohydrates
• no added sugars, oil or salt (no SOS).

And that is how simple it is.

So let´s go over Natto. 

It is a fermented soy product and it contains in one 1.41 Oz breakfast serving the following:

• Calories: 85
• Fat: 35 grams
• Carbs: 5.4 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Protein: 7.65 grams
• Manganese: 27% of the daily value (DV)
• Iron: 19% of the DV
• Copper: 30% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 8% of the DV
• Magnesium: 11% of the DV
• Calcium: 7% of the DV
• Vitamin C: 6% of the DV
• Potassium: 6% of the DV
• Zinc: 11% of the DV
• Selenium: 6% of the DV
• Additionally: Natto also contains smaller amounts of vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds (5)
• Trusted Sourc).

  Natto is especially nutritious because its soybeans undergo a process of fermentation, which creates conditions that promote the growth of probiotics. 
   (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

• This is one reason why natto is considered more nutritious than boiled soybeans.

• Natto also contains fewer antinutrients and more beneficial plant compounds and enzymes than non-fermented soybeans
   (5Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10).

Now I eat that with a cup of mixed rice, brown basmati and black rice, which has another 5 grams of protein.

The one cup of rice contains approximately the following:

• Calories- 210 calories
• Protein- 5 grams
• Carbohydrates– 46 grams
• ·Fat- 0.5 grams

And then I also add some three scallions, cut up and some chives.

In short, that one silly little bowl contains dynamite nutrition.

There are always rumors about soybeans being bad, but those largely are unfounded, see here, and here. Unfortunately, too many of the diet gurus do not know anything about nutrition. Or only enough to be dangerous.

One last thing about the natto breakfast, I think it is ideal food after a water fast.

I usually end up with a Kombucha the night before (fermented/probiotic) and then a smoothie in the AM, and then I might have some fruit and typically a bowl of natto will be my first solid food. You can chew it really well and thus get the maximum benefit. Great way to give your gut flora a boost. 

P.S. A special Thanksgiving addition: You can even make your natto hot and spicy. I make it with sliced, seeded jalapeño, or I could even see a serrano pepper. For now, my preferred way to spice it up over and above the traditional cut-up scallions, is settling at some chives, one jalapeño and one serrano pepper. Everyone can experiment on their own. Maybe I could see parsley. To me, I run a fusion kitchen, where the rule is #WFPB, without SOS, and otherwise anything goes. With traditional recipes, I first try to come as close as I can to the original flavor, and then the experimentation starts and dishes evolve beyond their original "traditional" flavors.
Along those lines, I made a vegetarian spaghetti sauce when I was a teenager, and I had a reputation for doing that quite well. I used mushrooms instead of meat, but otherwise it was quite traditional. Today, it has become totally 3WFPB, and I make numerous variations, and I love spaghetti even better now.

A final word on Dr. Esselstyn's Black Bean Salsa

 Jose, who works at the Premium Halal Supermarket on the corner of Starling Avenue and Odell Street, has become my official taste tester for any Mexican-style dishes I try my hand at. Recently that was Cactus salad (approved), and lately I have been perfecting Dr. Esselstyn's Black Bean Salsa (From the book How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease). First time I gave it to him, I had forgotten the cilantro (pics), but yesterday I gave it to him with the cilantro, which was definitely better, but I am also fine tuning the number and blend of peppers that go into it. Recipe follows. 

By the way, while we're at it, there is an excellent site to research peppers, called Pepperscale.

I now like to use the following in my Black Bean Salsa:

• Jalapeño
• Serrano
• Poblano These last two are alternatives to each other.
• Chilaca Ditto, alternative to Poblano. Probably my first choice.

Now for the updated recipe:

• 2 cans of black beans, or 1 lb dry beans (cooked with some kombu in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot).
• 1 can of corn
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced paper thin
• 2-3 Jalapeños, finely sliced
• 2 Serranos, finely sliced
• 1 Chilaca or Poblano pepper, sliced fine
• 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
• 1 bottle of Salsa Verde
• 2-3 limes, juiced 

Clean all the ingredients, and slice the peppers fine, paper thin is the ideal. The celery also, paper thin is best (use the mandoline). I use all of the cilantro and again, just try to millimeter is. Now you'll understand why I love sharp knives. The finer you cut these things, the more the flavor spreads throughout. The secret to success here is the balance between aroma and heat.

As a practical matter, if you first pour the Salsa over the mixture, then you can wash out the bottle with the lime juice to get all of the salsa out. 

I prefer to let it marinate in the fridge for a day, and you can keep it for 4-5 days. You can serve it on tostadas, or rice cakes, or masa tortillas.