Where Do You Get Your Protein?

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Did you know meat is not the only way to get your protein? Did you also know that eggs and dairy are not the only way to get your fill of protein either? While meat, eggs, and dairy are all complete proteins, there are other ways to fulfill our complete protein intake as well.

If anyone reading this is a Vegan, I'm sure they will all agree that the most commonly asked question they get about their diet is, "where do you get your protein?" When I was solely Vegan, I was asked this question daily, so I thought it would be fit to explain how other foods when combined can make a complete protein just like meat, eggs, or dairy.

In a protein there are 20 different amino acidsthat can make a protein, 9 of which the body is unable to make itself. These 9 amino acids are also called essential amino acids. In order for food to be consider a complete protein, it must contain all of the 9 essential amino acids. Reason being, since our bodies can make up the other amino acids needed to make it a complete protein, the essential amino acids need to be present in what we eat so that the proteins can be completed. If one of the 9 essential amino acids are missing, our bodies cannot make it, so the protein chain will be incomplete.

Some foods other than meat, eggs, and dairy are considered complete proteins on their own. The foods that are complete proteins on their own are:
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Soy
Hemp Seeds
Chia Seeds

There are other foods that when combined together, our bodies are able to make a complete protein from their amino acids. These combinations are:
Beans and Whole Grains - Ex Beans & Brown Rice
Nuts/Seeds and Whole Grains - Ex Almond Butter & Whole Grain Toast
Beans and Seeds - Ex Hummus

Ezekiel Bread, which I have been a fan of forever, is also a complete protein! They make it easy for us! :)

Since I have talked about combined proteins to form a complete protein, let me also talk about the myth that is associated with it. It was believed that in order for these combinations to work and form a complete protein, you needed to eat them together during the same meal. This is no longer the belief, as it is now believed that if you eat any of the above combinations within 24 hours (give or take) from each other, your body will still form the complete protein from the combination. So if you have whole grain toast for breakfast, and black bean soup for dinner, you will still be getting the essential amino acids that your body needs.

Web MD suggests the following protein intakes:

• Babies need about 10 grams a day.
• School-age kids need 19-34 grams a day.
• Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day.
• Teenage girls need 46 grams a day.
• Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
• Adult women need about 46 grams a day (71 grams, if pregnant or breastfeeding)

So keep in mind when you or your family are getting bored of chicken, or eggs, there are other food sources that will help you achieve your protein intake daily.

:)