Amino acids can be found in most foods. Foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Meat, poultry and fish are complete protein sources. But, if you are trying to eat less meat, you can obtain complete proteins from other animal products, such as, dairy and eggs.
Soybeans and quinoa are the only plant sources that are considered a complete protein. If you want to eat foods which are not complete proteins, you can eat those foods in combination with other foods to form a complete protein.
Foods are considered incomplete proteins because they don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids, but are still great sources of protein. These would include legumes, other grains, nuts and seeds.
Some examples of combining incomplete proteins include rice and beans, bulgur wheat and dried beans, barley and dried beans, corn and peas, soybeans and seeds, peanuts, rice and dried beans, seeds and green peas. These foods don’t necessarily have to be eaten at the same meal, but should be eaten at some point during the same day.
Some examples of combining incomplete proteins include rice and beans, bulgur wheat and dried beans, barley and dried beans, corn and peas, soybeans and seeds, peanuts, rice and dried beans, seeds and green peas. These foods don’t necessarily have to be eaten at the same meal, but should be eaten at some point during the same day.
