Meat Free Proteins
Protein is essential in building muscles and is important in our diet. However, when we think of protein, we think of animal proteins. That's because we think that meat protein is the most complete.
There are plenty of reasons to eat more meat-free meals: They're nearly always cheaper, lower in calories and better for the environment. It's easy to get enough protein without eating animals, but the doubters often have another concern: Are these meat-free protein sources complete?
The term "complete protein" refers to amino acids, the building blocks of protein. There are 20 different amino acids that can form a protein, and nine that the body can't produce on its own. These are called essential amino acids- we need to eat them because we can't make them ourselves. In order to be considered "complete", a protein must contain all nine of these essential amino acids in roughly equal amounts.
Yes, meat and eggs are complete proteins, and beans and nuts aren't. But humans don't need every bite of food in every meal they eat; we only need a sufficient amount of each amino acid every day. Most dietitians believe that plant-based diets contain a wide variety of amino acid profiles that vegans are virtually guaranteed to get all of their amino acids with very little effort.
Here are ways to get meatless protein:
1. Quinoa (Protein: 8 grams per 1 cup per saving)
2. Buckwheat: (Protein: 6 grams per 1 cup serving)
3. Hempseed (Protein: 10 grams per 2 tablespoon serving)
4. Chia (Protein: 4 grams per 2 tablespoon serving)
5. Soy (Protein: 10 grams per 1/2 cup serving)