June 28, 2021

Collagen Creations: How To Incorporate Collagen into Your Diet

Lately, everyone seems to be talking about collagen. Collagen is most commonly discussed in circles where plumping up the skin and reducing fine lines is a concern. Collagen is a major component of your skin, and you may find it in face creams lining the shelves the world over - although they may not all live up to their promises (1). Beyond these popular aesthetic benefits, collagen is a wonderful addition to a healthy and balanced diet. Collagen is a key structural protein in the body. It ensures the cohesion, elasticity, and regeneration of all connective tissue in the body (9). Collagen is found in our bones, muscles, skin and in our tendons (1). You want to incorporate it into your diet because your body produces less collagen as you age (1).

Why Cook With Collagen?

Cooking with collagen has become one of the easiest ways to boost your intake. We live fast-paced lives, and it is not easy to ensure our bodies get everything they need. Collagen is found in foods such as chicken skin, pork skin, beef, and fish (2), but we may not have time to prepare our food in such a way that its collagen content is sufficient. By including collagen powder into some delicious recipes, we can make our lives easier and take care of our bodies all in one fell swoop. What’s more, collagen powders do not degrade in normal cooking temperatures, making collagen powder perfect to cook with (10).

A Hearty Bovine Collagen Stew (11)

First on our list of collagen recipes is a beef stew which will warm you from the inside out! Packed full of goodness, this recipe serves six, and it is perfect for the whole family.

Ingredients:

1 kg of beef chuck cut into chunks
1 chopped large onion
2 minced cloves of garlic
6 chopped carrots
4 large, quartered potatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
¼ cup of flour
4 tablespoons of bovine collagen powder
4 cups of hot beef stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bay leaves
A sprinkle of fresh thyme
A pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic until they soften.
Add the tomato paste to the mixture and season with salt, pepper and thyme.
Add the beef and sauté until brown and fully coated in the mixture.
Whisk the bovine collagen powder, beef stock, and the flour into a smooth liquid.
Add the collagen, stock, and flour mixture into the pot and stir.
Add the potatoes and the bay leaves.
Cover the pot and allow the stew to simmer until the potatoes and beef are soft and tender.
Garnish with thyme and serve.

A Collagen Snack - Creamy Collagen Chocolate Smoothie (3)

fresh avos on a table to be used for a smoothie

Smoothies are a go-to snack these days. They are fast, and you can drink them wherever, whenever. Who doesn’t love a good chocolate avocado smoothie? This recipe makes one serving.

Ingredients:

½ a cup of crushed ice
240ml of almond milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon of collagen powder
3 dates (fresh dates are delicious) or 1 tablespoon of raw honey
2 tablespoons of almond butter
½ an avocado
2 tablespoons of raw cacao
1½ teaspoon of golden flaxseed

Directions:

Just blend it all together, and your delicious snack is made and ready to drink

A Hearty Collagen Main - Yellow Split Pea Collagen Curry (5)

This one is great for vegetarians, and this simple split pea curry is a brilliant way to keep you warm this winter.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic either minced or grated
2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, either minced or grated
1 small finely chopped white onion
½ a red chilli finely chopped
½ a teaspoon of ground coriander
½ a teaspoon of ground cumin
½ a teaspoon of turmeric
200g of yellow split peas
700ml of a stock of your choosing
200ml of coconut cream
4 tablespoons of collagen powder

Serve with:

Short grain brown rice
Toasted coconut
Chopped spring onion
Fresh coriander
Salt to taste

Directions:

Fry the onion in olive oil for five minutes or until golden brown.
Stir in the garlic, ginger, and chilli. Allow it to cook for another five minutes.
Add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Add the peas and pour in the stock.
Bring the mixture to the boil and allow it to simmer uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
Pour in the coconut cream.
Stir in the collagen powder.
Allow the mixture to heat through and add salt to taste.
Garnish and serve!

A Delicious Collagen Dessert – Banana Pancakes(7)

One of our favourite desserts is banana pancakes. This recipe is full of fibre and potassium, without refined sugar!

Ingredients:

1 banana, very ripe and mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2/3 of a cup of almond flour
½ a teaspoon of baking powder
½ a teaspoon of baking soda
¼ cup of flaxseed powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of collagen powder
A splash of almond milk

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together, ensuring there are no lumps in the batter.
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil or coconut oil in a pan.
Pour a dollop of batter into the hot pan and leave to cook until some bubbles form in the pancake.
Flip the pancake once it has browned, allowing the other side to cook.
Serve your pancakes with your choice of toppings; almond butter, banana, and maple syrup are always a good choice.

Collagen Sides – Get That Guac (4)

Who doesn’t like guacamole? It’s an easy addition to your snack platter and an essential topping to your nachos. This recipe makes three to four servings.

Ingredients:

2 avocados
4 sliced cherry tomatoes
1 sliced bell pepper
The juice of ½ a lime
2 scoops of collagen powder
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel, pit and mash the avocado.
Mix in the tomatoes, bell pepper, lime juice with the avocado.
Serve with your choice of chips or vegetables.

Sfera Bio Nutrition has a brilliant range of collagen powders and supplements which are perfect for your recipes. Sfera’s Bovine & Marine Collagen Powders have been formulated with Peptan®. Peptan® are bioactive collagen peptides that have been specifically developed to deliver multiple health benefits, supplied in a form that can be easily used and digested by the human body (8). Choose from our Peptan® Marine Collagen Powder, Peptan® Bovine Collagen Powder, or Peptan® Marine Collagen Capsules to ensure you get your daily dose of collagen.

Why Cook With Collagen?

A Hearty Bovine Collagen Stew (11)

Ingredients:

Directions:

A Collagen Snack - Creamy Collagen Chocolate Smoothie (3)

Ingredients:

Directions:

A Hearty Collagen Main - Yellow Split Pea Collagen Curry (5)

Ingredients:

Serve with:

Directions:

A Delicious Collagen Dessert – Banana Pancakes(7)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Collagen Sides – Get That Guac (4)

Ingredients:

Directions:

References: