FLASHCARDS! Does Turkey Really Make You Tired? The Science of Tryptophan and Holiday Meals

Gabrielle Birchak/ November 21, 2025/ Archive, Modern History

Thank you for tun­ing into today’s pod­cast! If you are here for the recipes, just scroll to the bottom!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTS

Wel­come to Flash­cards Fri­day! Today we’re tak­ing a clos­er look at some­thing that shows up every Novem­ber: tryp­to­phan. Yes, that mys­te­ri­ous amino acid that gets blamed every year for the leg­endary “post-Thanks­giv­ing nap.” Turkey is the star wit­ness, but the ques­tion remains: is the turkey real­ly guilty?

Today, we’re unpack­ing the sci­ence behind tryp­to­phan, what it actu­al­ly is, how it works inside the body, and why it became syn­ony­mous with sleepi­ness after Thanks­giv­ing. And because this is Math! Sci­ence! His­to­ry!, we’ll go beyond the myth and explore the beau­ti­ful­ly mea­sur­able chem­istry behind one of our most com­fort­ing hol­i­day traditions.

Tryp­to­phan is an essen­tial amino acid, mean­ing your body can’t make it, so you have to eat it. Turkey has it. But so do chick­en, cheese, tofu, peanuts, and even choco­late. And yet year after year, turkey gets the fame and the blame.

The truth is rich­er, more nuanced, and much more inter­est­ing. Tryp­to­phan isn’t a sleep switch, it’s a bio­chem­i­cal sto­ry­teller. And its sto­ry involves mood, rest, carbs, ratios, and yes… the very math behind how your body decides what goes where.

So let’s open the book.

How Tryp­to­phan Actu­al­ly Works in Your Body

To pic­ture tryptophan’s job, imag­ine it as one trav­el­er in a crowd­ed air­port ter­mi­nal. This air­port is your blood­stream. The ter­mi­nal is the blood–brain bar­ri­er. And every amino acid, the entire cast, wants to board the same gate: a trans­porter that allows them into the brain.

Tryp­to­phan is not the pushy one in the group. If any­thing, it waits polite­ly behind bulki­er, more assertive com­peti­tors. So how does it ever make it through?

Here’s the twist: carbohydrates.

Yes, the rolls, stuff­ing, mashed pota­toes, and pie are the plot twist in this bio­chem­i­cal drama.

Here’s the sim­pli­fied chain of events:

First, you load up on your Thanks­giv­ing feast, espe­cial­ly carbs. Then, your blood sug­ar ris­es. But, insulin comes to the res­cue. You see, this insulin escorts most com­pet­ing amino acids into mus­cle tis­sue. Sud­den­ly, tryptophan’s crowd­ed board­ing gate clears. And then, Tryp­to­phan final­ly slips into the brain.

Once it arrives, it’s con­vert­ed into sero­tonin, your neu­ro­trans­mit­ter for mood, calm, and emo­tion­al bal­ance. Lat­er, sero­tonin can become mela­tonin, which reg­u­lates sleep.

So tryp­to­phan does affect relax­ation, but it needs help. It needs the math to work out in its favor. It needs the ratio between itself and all the oth­er amino acids to shift so that it can win the race. With­out that ratio change, turkey alone isn’t doing much.

And this brings us to one of the biggest mis­con­cep­tions: turkey has no more tryp­to­phan than many oth­er foods. In fact, sev­er­al veg­e­tar­i­an foods outscore it.

A Veg­e­tar­i­an Lens on Tryptophan

Because not every­one cel­e­brates Thanks­giv­ing with turkey, and because many of my lis­ten­ers love a good plant-based option, myself includ­ed. Don’t even get me start­ed on Gardein’s Plant-based Turk’y Roast. This is not a paid ad, but let’s just say it’s soooo good stuffed with wild rice, cran­ber­ries and kale. And I’m not even veg­e­tar­i­an. I just love Gardein!

So, let’s talk about veg­e­tar­i­an sources of tryptophan.

Some of the high­est tryp­to­phan foods on earth are veg­e­tar­i­an, includ­ing and this includes tofu, Edamame, pump­kin seeds, oats or oat bran, buck­wheat, lentils and chickpeas.

So yes, the clas­sic “post-meal calm” is avail­able even with­out turkey. In fact, if you pair tofu or chick­peas with com­plex carbs, you cre­ate the exact same bio­chem­i­cal envi­ron­ment for tryp­to­phan absorp­tion that a Thanks­giv­ing plate does.

So, if you are serv­ing up food for veg­e­tar­i­ans and veg­ans, might I rec­om­mend a Tofu and buck­wheat bowl with pump­kin seeds, or a grain sal­ad with chick­peas, roast­ed squash, and oats (yum!), Edamame and quinoa with a sprin­kle of sesame and sun­flower seeds, and for break­fast some Oat­meal topped with chia or pump­kin seeds. Ch-ch-ch-chia. Again, not a paid place­ment. Still, Chia pets make awe­some office gifts.

So, even with a meat­less din­ner, carbs help shift the amino-acid ratio so that tryp­to­phan can enter the brain more easily.

So whether your plate includes turkey or tofu, stuff­ing or buck­wheat, the math of tryp­to­phan absorp­tion stays the same.

Tryp­to­phan, Mood, and the Biol­o­gy of Gratitude

Now that the mys­tery is cleared up, let’s step into the emo­tion­al side of this sto­ry. Because tryptophan’s most mean­ing­ful role isn’t about sleepi­ness, it’s about sero­tonin, mood, and calm. Sero­tonin plays a pow­er­ful role in emo­tion­al reg­u­la­tion, social bond­ing, and the sense of con­tent­ment. Researchers have long noticed that high­er sero­tonin activ­i­ty is often asso­ci­at­ed with empa­thy and gratitude.

Grat­i­tude is not just an emo­tion­al expe­ri­ence; it has a bio­log­i­cal sig­na­ture. When we feel grate­ful, the parts of the brain asso­ci­at­ed with calm­ness and emo­tion­al resilience light up. These regions depend on neu­ro­trans­mit­ters, sero­tonin includ­ed, that trace their ori­gins back to amino acids like tryptophan.

This doesn’t mean tryp­to­phan cre­ates grat­i­tude. But it does cre­ate a bio­chem­i­cal envi­ron­ment in which grat­i­tude becomes eas­i­er to access, espe­cial­ly after a warm meal, a qui­et moment, or a shared laugh with some­one you love.

The Math of Gratitude

And there is some­thing ele­gant in the way it all adds up.

Because grat­i­tude, like math, compounds.

A small moment of thank­ful­ness becomes one term in a grow­ing series. The more you notice, the rich­er the sum becomes. Tiny obser­va­tions, a warm blan­ket, left­over pie, a rest­ful week­end, a board game with the fam, become ele­ments in a broad­er emo­tion­al equation.

And that’s the beau­ty here: bio­log­i­cal process­es that begin with a micro­scop­ic mol­e­cule can rip­ple out­ward into some­thing pro­found­ly human.

So the day after Thanks­giv­ing, while peo­ple may still be teas­ing turkey for being a sleep agent, there’s a deep­er sto­ry unfolding:

Your body has been doing chem­istry.
Your brain has been doing math.
And your emo­tions have been sum­ming up the moments that matter.

Turkey didn’t do that.
Tofu didn’t do that.
You did that.

But tryp­to­phan helped set the stage.

So whether your hol­i­day plate had turkey or tofu, stuff­ing or squash, tryp­to­phan is part of the qui­et chem­istry that sup­ports mood, calm, and reflec­tion. And in this sea­son that cel­e­brates grat­i­tude, it’s a love­ly reminder that even the small­est ele­ments can cre­ate the biggest rip­ple effects.

Until next time…
carpe diem.

@gabriellebirchak

Yep, I’m eat­ing @gardein for Thanks­giv­ing! #veg­e­tar­i­an #yum­my­food

♬ orig­i­nal sound — Gabrielle Bir­chak

RECIPES

(sor­ry — I’m grab­bing pub­lic domain images … Face­book ruined din­ner pho­tos for me!)

🍲 Tofu & Buckwheat and Squash Bowl with Pumpkin Seeds

Serves: 2
Total Time: ~35 min­utes
Vibe: Cozy, earthy, pro­tein-packed, tryptophan-rich

✨ Ingredients

For the bowl

• 1 cup buck­wheat groats (raw or toasted/kasha)
• 2 cups water or veg­etable broth
• 1 block (14 oz) firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 1 table­spoon olive oil or avo­ca­do oil
• 1 cup edamame (shelled; steamed or thawed from frozen)
• 1 cup roast­ed squash (but­ter­nut, kabocha, or acorn), cubed
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 cup baby spinach or kale
• ¼ cup pump­kin seeds (pepi­tas), toasted
• Salt & pep­per, to taste

For the dressing

• 2 table­spoons tahi­ni
• 1–2 table­spoons maple syrup
• 1 table­spoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 table­spoon apple cider vine­gar or lemon juice
• 1 gar­lic clove, grat­ed (option­al)
• 1–2 table­spoons warm water (to thin)

Option­al fla­vor boosters

• Smoked papri­ka
• Sesame seeds
• Chili crisp
• Fresh herbs (chives, cilantro, or parsley)

👩‍🍳 Instruc­tions
1. Cook the buckwheat

1. Rinse buck­wheat under cold water.
2. Add to a pot with water or broth.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and sim­mer for 10–12 min­utes, until tender.
4. Drain any excess liq­uid and fluff with a fork. Set aside.

2. Pre­pare the tofu

1. Press tofu for at least 10 min­utes to remove moisture.
2. Cut into 1‑inch cubes.
3. In a skil­let, heat the olive oil over medi­um heat.
4. Add the tofu and sea­son with salt, pep­per, and smoked papri­ka (option­al).
5. Cook until gold­en on all sides, about 8–10 min­utes.

3. Roast or sauté the vegetables

If using pre-roast­ed squash, skip this step.
To roast:

1. Pre­heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Toss squash and red onion in a lit­tle oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast 20–25 min­utes until caramelized.

To sauté:

1. Add a bit of oil to the tofu pan after remov­ing tofu.
2. Add onions and squash, sauté until ten­der and light­ly browned.

Add the spinach or kale to the pan at the end to wilt.

4. Make the dressing

Whisk togeth­er:

• Tahi­ni
• Maple syrup
• Soy sauce
• Vine­gar or lemon juice
• Gar­lic
• Water to thin until creamy and pourable

Taste and adjust: more maple for sweet­ness; more soy for salt; more vine­gar for brightness.

5. Assem­ble the bowls

In two bowls, layer:

1. Cooked buck­wheat
2. Tofu cubes
3. Edamame
4. Roast­ed squash & onions
5. Greens
6. Toast­ed pump­kin seeds

Driz­zle with the creamy tahi­ni dress­ing. Top with chili crisp, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs if you like.

💡 Tips & Variations

• Extra tryp­to­phan boost: Add sun­flower seeds, sesame seeds, or chickpeas.
• Make it gluten-free: This recipe is nat­u­ral­ly GF as long as your tamari/soy sauce is GF.
• Add warmth: Cin­na­mon, cumin, turmer­ic, or smoked papri­ka com­ple­ment buck­wheat beautifully.
• Make it meal-prep friend­ly: Buck­wheat and tofu keep well for 3–4 days in the fridge.

🥗 Grain Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Squash, and Toasted Oats

Serves: 3–4

Total Time: ~40 minutes

Vibe: Cozy, nut­ty, pro­tein-rich, nat­u­ral­ly plant-based

✨ Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 cup cooked grain (choose one: far­ro, bar­ley, quinoa, or bulgur)
• 1 medi­um but­ter­nut squash (or kabocha/acorn), peeled and cubed
• 1 can chick­peas (15 oz), drained and rinsed
• ½ cup rolled oats, light­ly toasted
• 2 hand­fuls baby spinach or chopped kale
• ¼ red onion, thin­ly sliced
• ¼ cup dried cran­ber­ries or chopped dried apricots
• ¼ cup pump­kin seeds or sun­flower seeds (option­al but encouraged)
• Olive oil
• Salt & pep­per, to taste
• ½ tea­spoon smoked papri­ka (option­al – one of my favorites!)

For the dressing

• 3 table­spoons olive oil
• 1 table­spoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 table­spoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tea­spoon Dijon mus­tard
• ½ tea­spoon salt
• Black pep­per, to taste
• Option­al addi­tions: a pinch of cin­na­mon, grat­ed gar­lic, or lemon zest

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the grain

Pre­pare your cho­sen grain accord­ing to pack­age instruc­tions.
Exam­ples:

• Far­ro: Sim­mer 15–20 minutes
• Bar­ley: Sim­mer 25–30 minutes
• Quinoa: Sim­mer 15 minutes

Drain excess water, fluff, set aside.

2. Roast the squash

1. Pre­heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Spread squash cubes on a bak­ing sheet.
3. Toss with a driz­zle of olive oil, salt, pep­per, and smoked paprika.
4. Roast 25–30 min­utes, flip­ping halfway, until caramelized and tender.

3. Toast the oats

This adds tex­ture and a warm, nut­ty depth.

1. In a dry skil­let over medi­um heat, add the rolled oats.
2. Toast for 3–4 min­utes, stir­ring fre­quent­ly, until fra­grant and light­ly golden.
3. Set aside to cool (they’ll crisp slightly).

4. Pre­pare the chickpeas

You can leave them straight from the can, or roast them for crunch:

Option­al crispy chickpeas:

• Pat dry.
• Toss with a lit­tle olive oil, salt, pepper.
• Roast for 15–20 min­utes at 400°F until crisp.

5. Mix the dressing

Whisk togeth­er:

• Olive oil
• Maple syrup
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mus­tard
• Salt, pep­per
• Option­al cin­na­mon or lemon zest for brightness

Taste and adjust: more vine­gar for tang, more maple for sweetness.

6. Assem­ble the salad

In a large bowl, combine:

• Cooked grain
• Roast­ed squash
• Chick­peas
• Sliced red onion
• Baby spinach or kale
• Dried cran­ber­ries
• Toast­ed oats
• Pump­kin or sun­flower seeds

Pour the dress­ing over the top. Toss gen­tly to combine.

💡 Tips & Variations

• Warm ver­sion: Toss ingre­di­ents while grains and squash are still warm.
• Chilled ver­sion: Cool every­thing com­plete­ly before mixing.
• Make it pro­tein-heav­ier: Add edamame, extra chick­peas, or hemp seeds.
• Make it creami­er: Add a spoon­ful of tahi­ni to the dressing.
• More crunch: Add chopped apples or celery.
• More fall fla­vor: Add thyme, rose­mary, or a pinch of nutmeg.

🥗 Edamame & Quinoa Bowl with Sesame + Sunflower Seeds

Serves: 2
Total Time: ~25 min­utes
Vibe: Fresh, nut­ty, high-pro­tein, min­i­mal­ist, energizing

✨ Ingre­di­ents
For the bowl

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (OR, use my favorite: Mixed Grains from Trad­er Joe’s)
• 2 cups water or veg­etable broth
• 1½ cups edamame (shelled; thawed or steamed)
• 1 medi­um cucum­ber, diced
• 1 medi­um car­rot, grat­ed or julienned
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ¼ cup sun­flower seeds
• 2 table­spoons sesame seeds (black or white)
• A hand­ful of baby spinach or mixed greens (option­al)
• Salt & pep­per, to taste

For the dressing

• 2 table­spoons rice vine­gar
• 1 table­spoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 table­spoon olive oil or toast­ed sesame oil
• 1 tea­spoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 tea­spoon grat­ed ginger
• Option­al: ½–1 tea­spoon chili crisp or sriracha

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water.
2. Add quinoa + water/broth to a saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cov­er, and sim­mer 12–15 min­utes.
4. Turn off heat and let sit cov­ered for 5 minutes.
5. Fluff with a fork and sea­son light­ly with salt.

2. Pre­pare the edamame

• If using frozen shelled edamame, microwave or steam for 3–5 min­utes until tender.
• Sea­son light­ly with salt.

3. Toast the seeds

This step is option­al but adds great flavor.

• In a dry skil­let over medi­um heat, toast the sesame and sun­flower seeds for 2–3 min­utes, stir­ring often, until light­ly gold­en and fragrant.

4. Make the dressing

Whisk togeth­er:

• Rice vine­gar
• Soy sauce/tamari
• Olive or sesame oil
• Maple syrup
• Gin­ger
• Option­al chili crisp

Taste and adjust: more vine­gar for bright­ness, more maple for sweet­ness, more soy for depth.

5. Assem­ble the bowls

Divide between two bowls:

1. Quinoa
2. Edamame
3. Cucum­ber
4. Car­rot
5. Greens (if using)
6. Green onions
7. Toast­ed sesame + sun­flower seeds

Driz­zle gen­er­ous­ly with the dressing.

💡 Tips & Variations

• Extra pro­tein: Add more edamame or toss in chickpeas.
• More crunch: Add shred­ded red cab­bage or snap peas.
• Creami­er: Add a spoon­ful of tahi­ni to the dressing.
• Meal prep friend­ly: This bowl keeps beau­ti­ful­ly for 3–4 days.
• Warm ver­sion: Serve quinoa + edamame warm with the dress­ing poured over.
• Chilled ver­sion: Cool all ingre­di­ents and eat like a refresh­ing salad.

FINALLY! (I forgot to mention this one on the podcast. I make this every year to go with my Gardein. It’s a huge hit!)

🍄 Mushroom Gravy

Serves: 6
Total Time: 60 min­utes
Fla­vor: 100% YUM! I use this gravy over my game hen and my Gardein.
✨ Ingre­di­ents

• ¼ cut butter
• 16 oz pack­age sliced mushrooms
• Salt (to taste) – I pre­fer to use pepper
• ¼ cut all-pur­pose flour
• 1 quart beef stock
• 1 pinch fresh thyme leaves

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Heat but­ter in a saucepan over medi­um heat until it starts to foam. Stir in the sliced mush­rooms and sea­son with a lit­tle bit of salt or pep­per. Sim­mer until the liq­uid evap­o­rates. This takes about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the flour. Cook and con­tin­ue to stir for five more min­utes. Add 1 cup of beef stock, and stir briskly until it is well blend­ed. Then pour in the remain­ing stock in mixed thor­ough­ly. Sea­soned with black pep­per and thyme. Reduce the heat to medi­um low and sim­mer until it thick­ens. Stir often. This takes about 30 minutes

💡 Tips & Variations

• Extra aro­ma: Add more rose­mary, sage or bay leaf.
• More tang: Add some Worces­ter­shire sauce
• Vari­ety: Caramelize crem­i­ni mush­rooms  or sprin­kle with dried porcini
• Creami­er: Stir in dur­ing the last 5 min­utes: ¼–½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half