5 Vegan-Approved Foods for Your Complete Protein Count
Opting for meat-free meals comes quite easily, since there are several reasons to quit meat. These meals are cheaper, carry lesser calories, and of course, serve our environment well. So if someone’s been citing Proteins to be the reason for their non-vegetarianism, there’s enough to counter their argument.
However, when it comes to how ‘complete’ a protein is, they have a fair chance of winning. Beans and nuts are not complete proteins, unlike meat and eggs.
The catch is, humans don’t need all essential protein components (amino acids) in every bite they consume through the day. All they need is to reach a certain stipulated quantity every day, and that’s about it. This ease has formed the base of veganism as a legit lifestyle. Here are some meat-free proteins that are complete in themselves and suffice for the body’s requirement.
Quinoa
It looks much like couscous but is so much more nutritious than that. It is loaded with fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, and is quite versatile in terms of usage. Spend some time reading its roles, and you can replace rice with it, in fritters, muffins, cookies, or just breakfast recipes. With each cup of quinoa, we are supplying our body with 8 grams of complete protein.
Soy
The beans may be low on their methionine (amino acid), but soy deserves the crown for being the most-liked source of proteins for vegans. Tofu is amongst the most known forms of soy, and half a cup of it can easily grant 10 grams of protein. The firmer a tofu is, the richer it is!
Rice and Beans
Those who turn vegans as a conscious choice are perhaps the most exposed to rice and beans as the simplest and cheapest meals to ever exist. Talking of Protein content, they rub shoulders with meat. Just 1 cup can serve up to 7 grams of your daily intake. While beans are high on lysine and low on methionine, it’s the other way around for rice. No wonder these two put together have such a happy marriage!
Hummus and Pita
Rice and Wheat contain similar proteins, with just a slight variation of lysine. But then chickpeas have the lysine that wheat missed out on. So, when you knead your wheat and serve it with some ground chickpeas, your platter sits just right on the protein scale. 1 pita bread and just 2 tablespoons of hummus make for 7 grams of Proteins. The Middle Eastern staple is quite loved across the globe in this day.
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Just as we discussed earlier, match a legume entree (beans, lentils, peanuts) with a grain entree (wheat, rice, corn), and you would have a complete protein intact. By the same rule, Peanut Butter smeared on a slice of whole wheat bread is quite a staggering dose of the needed amino acids — and so quick, kids can prepare their own. Just 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on 2 slices of bread, and you’ve eaten 15 grams already!