Complete Protein

what foods are considered to be complete protein?

im a vegitarian and i need protein! what are some healthy alternatives that contain protein?

pls? that would be great!!!

There is a difference between the protein found in animals and the protein found in plants. Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids needed by the body while plants contain only some of the essential amino acids. The reason they are called essential amino acids is because the body will not function correctly without them. There are ways to complete the essential amino acid chains by eating vegetable matter that contains different amino acids.

Grains, nuts, and legumes all have some of the amino acids that you need to survive and by combining these groups in certain ways, you can achieve complete protein nutrition. The vast majority of the world lives on a diet of rice and beans because it’s affordable and can be grown in many different climates.

Here are some types of plants that fit into the above categories for the purpose of completing proteins.

Grains: Barley, Bulgur, Buckwheat, Corn (and Cornmeal), Oats, Rice, Rye, Wheat, Pasta (usually made from one of these items anyway)

Legumes: Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peanuts, Peas, Soybeans.

Nuts/Seeds: Cashews, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, other nuts (not peanuts, they are legumes)

By combining two of these three groups, you can achieve total protein nutrition if you do not eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

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