Here is a cute illustration that shows us different plant sources of protein.
What are the benefits of consuming vegan proteins?
Whether you are omnivore (eat animal and plant source foods), vegetarian or vegan, plant proteins are great alternatives to meat and other animal proteins. They are usually great sources of fibers and unsaturated fats (the good fats). In addition, they are all cholesterol-free!
Are vegan proteins a complete source of protein?
However, unlike animal protein, plant proteins (for the exception of soy products) are not complete sources of protein.Vegan protein sources usually have a limiting amino acid. This means that they do not contain all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and that there is one essential amino acid that is absent or present in significantly smaller quantity. In order to build protein, tissue or muscle, our body must have all 9 essential amino acids: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine and histidine. Grains, grain products, seeds and nuts are poor in lysine, but rich in methionine. However, legumes, such as beans, chick peas and lentils are poor in methionine but rich in lysine.
For this reason, it is important to complement them with different sources of protein. For example, if you have beans or other legumes, you should combine them with a grain product or nuts or seeds. Variety is key!
Illustration created by mikimottes.com