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Incomplete vs. Complete Proteins PDF Print E-mail
Animal Protein Versus Vegetable Protein


In general, animal proteins (meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs) are considered good sources of complete proteins. Complete proteins contain ample amounts of all essential amino acids.


Food for Thought
Gelatin is the only animal protein that is not considered a complete protein.
On the other hand, vegetable proteins (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other vegetables) are incomplete proteins because they are missing, or do not have enough of, one or more of the essential amino acids. That's not such a big deal. You already know that grains and legumes are rich in complex carbohydrate and fiber. Now you learn that they can be an excellent source of protein as well; it just takes a little bit of work and know-how. By combining foods from two or more of the following columns—voilà—you create a self-made complete protein. You see, the foods in one column may be missing amino acids that are present in the foods listed in another column. When eaten in combination at the same meal (or separately throughout the day), your body receives all nine essential amino acids.
You can combine the following vegetable proteins to make complete proteins.



Sources of Complementary Proteins

GrainsLegumesNuts/Seeds
Barley Beans Sesame seeds
Bulgur Lentils Sunflower seeds
Cornmeal Dried peas Walnuts
Oats Peanuts Cashews
Buckwheat Chickpeas Pumpkin seeds
Rice Soy products Other nuts
Pasta   
Rye  
Wheat  

Combinations to Create Complete Proteins

Combine Grains and LegumesCombine Grains and Nuts/SeedsCombine Legumes and Nuts/Seeds
Peanut butter on whole-wheat bread Whole-wheat bun with sesame seeds Humus (chickpeas and sesame paste)
Rice and beans Breadsticks rolled with sesame seeds Trail mix (peanuts and sunflower seeds)
Bean soup and a roll Rice cakes with peanut butter  
Salad with chickpeas and cornbread  
Tofu-vegetable stir-fry over rice or pasta  
Vegetarian chili with bread  
 
   Also, by adding small amounts of animal protein (meat, eggs, milk, or cheese) to any of the groups, you create a complete protein. Here are some examples:




  • Oatmeal with milk
  • Macaroni and cheese

  • Casserole with a small amount of meat
  • Salad with beans and a hard cooked egg
  • Yogurt with granola
  • Bean and cheese burrito


Round-up
Complementary proteins are two incomplete proteins in a food that compensate for one another's shortfalls when combined.

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