How Do You Know if Protein is Complete or Incomplete
If you're a big fan of quinoa or chia seeds, you may have heard them touted as complete proteins. In a nutshell, that means they contain all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body. But the question is does that matter?, The short answer is no, not really. But first, let's back up a step. Animal-based foods like eggs, dairy, fish and meat are complete proteins, while most plant foods are incompletemeaning certain amino acids are missing from the protein puzzle. Some people believe that in order to utilize plant protein efficiently, you must eat so-called "complementary proteins" together. Rice and beans are a good example of complementary proteins, because the amino acids that are missing from beans are found in rice and vice versa. However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the terms "complete protein" and "incomplete protein" are misleading. That's because if a person consumes enough calories from a healthful, varied dieteven if those calories come exclusively from plant-based foodsshe should get an adequate supply of essential amino acids within a 24-hour period. Your liver helps by storing various essential amino acids over the course of a day for use later on. In other words, you don't need to worry about eating complementary plant foods simultaneously, as long as you're eating a variety of nutritious foods and not just vegan junk food. So no, you don't need to eat quinoa or chia at every meal, or memorize lists of foods to pair. But if you are vegan or lean toward a plant-based diet, to meet your protein needs by the end of the day it's important to eat quality calories from a mix of whole foods. Here are some examples of snacks and mini-meals that can help you consume a broad spectrum of the nutrients and amino acids your body needs, Remember that if you eat animals foods, quality still counts for wellness, weight management and disease prevention. Pair pastured eggs, grass-fed dairy or beef, organic poultry and wild, sustainable seafood with plenty of plants. And keep in mind that you don't need to eat animal protein at every meal in order to consume an amino acid-rich diet.