A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids that the body can’t produce on its own. These amino acids are essential because the human body cannot synthesize them, so they must be obtained through diet.
Nine Essential Amino Acids are Leucine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Arginine, Histidine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Valine, Threonine etc. Foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called Complete Proteins.
These include:
beef, poultry, fish, eggs, etc. Many animal products contain all nine essential amino acids.
To make a plant-based complete Protein,
you can combine it with other foods, such as: Rice lacks Leucine amino acid and dhal doesn’t have Methionine and cysteine. But the mixture of rice and dhal will contain all the essential amino acids in the form of idli, dosa, pongal etc.
Though Rice, carrots, corn, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, legumes, nuts,dairy, soy, quinoa, buckwheat, whole grains, grams etc., lack in one or two essential amino acids the combined food will provide a Complete protein that we need essentially .These are complete proteins for vegetarians.
Nutritionally Essential Protein:
Rice – 7 gms
Wheat – 12 gms
Whole Grams – 18 to 25 gms
Sprouted gram – 32 gms
