As I child, I hated both meat and fish. It was the texture, bones, veins, the fat, and the skin. I was disgusted and therefore completely unconvinced I needed it.
As I’ve grown, I personally have found certain poultry and fish work well for my body, but if it were up to me, I would choose vegetarianism. The goal for vegans and vegetarians is to ensure they consume enough of the ‘complete proteins’ their bodies need. A complete protein is a protein that contains all essential amino acids.
Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including building and repairing tissue. You use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Plus, your hair and nails are mostly made up of protein. It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
So where can vegetarians and vegans get their complete proteins?
- Quinoa (only takes 15 minutes to cook, unlike brown rice, which seems to draw things out until you’re ready to move on and just make quinoa instead.) — Check out our Summer Squash Quinoa Bowl, here.
- Buckwheat (has high protein content and is secretly a seed…)
- Rice paired with beans (one of the most delicious combinations…ever.) — Check out our Spiced Red Bean & Rice Collard Green Wrap, here.
- Beans/Lentils paired with whole grains
- Beans paired with nuts — Check out our Warming Winter Squash salad, here.
- Organic Plain European/Greek Yogurt
- Tempeh
- Spirulina — Check out our Cacao Spirulina Smoothie, here.
- Hemp seed — Check out out Classic Oatmeal with Hemp Seeds, here.
- Amaranth
Source:
What’s a Complete Protein? Inquiring Vegetarians want to Know. FitSugar. Jun 20 2012. http://www.fitsugar.com/Whats-Complete-Protein-Inquiring-Vegetarians-Want-Know-165298.
