What should you eat to get complete protein even with a plant-based diet? Guide to supplementing proteins and choosing protein powdeR.
If you live on a plant-based diet, you will surely get the question all the time about how you can cover your protein needs. However, as we have already written in several articles, it is not difficult to get protein without animal ingredients. However, there is one thing that is worth paying attention to when you eat like this, namely the pairing and complementing of different vegetable proteins!
Amino acid profile
As is well known, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. 9 are considered essential , histidine, isoleucine, leucine , lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine . Our body cannot produce them – we have to take them in from the outside.
Based on the essential amino acid content, we distinguish between two types of protein:
-
- Complete, complete proteins (typically animal proteins): they contain the 9 essential amino acids in the right amount and ratio for the human body
- Incomplete, incomplete proteins (typically vegetable proteins): do not contain the 9 essential amino acids in an optimal ratio, some amino acids are deficient
When absorbing, the body “selects” the one that is present in the smallest amount or ratio among the essential amino acids. This is called a limiting amino acid. During utilization, all other amino acids can only be absorbed and assimilated in proportion to the limiting amino acid.
Although it is not absolutely necessary to have the optimal essential amino acid profile for EVERY single meal, according to the latest research results, it is worth striving for it – especially if you exercise a lot, want to be more muscular, stronger or just want to be in the best shape.
Protein supplementation
This is where the concept of protein supplementation comes into play, i.e. combining different, incomplete proteins to ensure that your meal has a complete, full-value amino acid profile!
It is therefore necessary to be clear which plant material has an excess of protein and which protein is lacking.
An example:
Foods low in lysine and rich in methionine and cysteine:
-
- Cereals – barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, corn, rye, wheat
- Oily seeds – pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
Foods low in methionine and cysteine and rich in lysine:
-
- Legumes – beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, soybeans
Based on these, if you eat one of the cereals or the listed oil seeds with legumes, you have already supplemented one with the other. So hummus with pita and tahini, beans with rice, or a delicious spicy lentil stew sprinkled with toasted seeds can be said to be a perfect and simple solution to this problem.
There are a few exceptional vegan ingredients that are jokers in their own right, as they have an almost complete amino acid profile. And these are the…
-
- quinoa
- tofu, tempeh
- amaranth
- buckwheat
- spirulina
- hemp seed
- chia seed
- inactive yeast
The good news is that it is not necessary to have the entire amino acid profile in one meal in order to supply the body with adequate nutrients. If you eat a varied diet throughout the day, you probably managed to cover your needs without any extra calculations.
Protein powder choice
If you do a lot of sports, exercise, gain muscle mass or lose weight and want to supplement your protein intake with protein powder, then you should think carefully about what you choose. (This article will help you rule out unlucky ingredients – click here to read it .)
Most plant protein powders come from one or two sources. They are often advertised as complete, even though they contain all the essential amino acids in vain if one of them is limiting.
When developing VEGAN PROT3IN TRIPLEX protein powder, one of the main considerations was to achieve a balanced, complete amino acid profile. This is exactly why our product has three components:
-
- brown rice protein
- pea protein and
- a perfectly proportioned mixture of hemp seed protein.
The vegetable protein sources were selected so that they are easily digestible together and complement each other in their amino acid composition. Thanks to this, you can be sure that you always achieve the maximum effect, ensuring your body’s optimal supply of amino acids.
Of course, even the best quality and developed protein powder cannot replace a varied meal rich not only in protein, but also in vitamins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants, but it can be a great supplement to it. If you want to add extra protein to your meals and smoothies, browse our vegan recipes !