Protein – a basic macro nutrient made up of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids and 11 non-essential amino acids.
Complete + Incomplete Proteins
Complete Proteins contain a complete set of amino acids (20) along with some non-essential amino acids.
Incomplete Proteins are usually missing one or more of the essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins can be complimented with other protein sources to create a complete protein.
Example Sources of Protein
Complete:
Meat, Dairy, Soy, Cheese, Eggs
Skinless Chicken, 3 oz – 25g
Lean Meat, 3 oz – 25g
Fish, 3 oz – 21g
Egg, 1 – 6g
Egg White, 1 – 3.5g
Cottage Cheese, low fat, 1/5 C – 14g
Cheese,1.5oz – 10.5g
Milk, whole, 1 C – 8g
Soybeans, 1 C – 29g
Tofu, firm, 3 oz – 8g
Incomplete:
Grains, Nuts, Legumes, Vegetables
PB, 2T – 8g
Bread, Whole Wheat, 1 slice – 3g
Cereal, whole grain, 1 C – 2.5g
Lentils, 1 C – 18g
Beans (Black, Kidney, Garbanzo), 1 C – 13g
Green Peas, 1 C – 9g
Black-Eyed Peas, 1 C – 13g
Artichokes, 1 C – 6g
When two complementary proteins are combined they create a complete protein in a meal.
Examples:
Grains + Legumes
Nuts + Legumes
Grains + Dairy
Dairy + Seeds
Legumes + Seeds
Where do you get your protein? + What are your favorite protein combinations?
