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Proteins low in one or more of the essential amino acids are considered incomplete proteins. Plant, or commonly called vegetable proteins, are examples of incomplete proteins because most are low in one of the essential amino acids. For example, grains tend to be short of lysine. The amino acid that is in shortest supply in a given protein is called the limiting amino acid. The limiting amino acid tends to be different in different proteins. This means when two different foods are combined, the amino acids in one protein can compensate for the one lacking in the other. This is known as protein complementing. Vegetarians and vegans need to combine plant proteins (incomplete proteins) to get all the essential amino acids found in complete proteins.
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There are three major categories of vegetable proteins:
- Legumes – plants whose seeds grow in pods such as peas, beans, and peanuts
- Grains – rice, wheat, corn and others
- Nuts and Seeds – walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, flaxseeds
Like animal proteins, some vegetable proteins are better than others. Here is a general “fact list” concerning vegetable proteins:
- Nuts are generally lower in protein and higher in fat than seeds.
- All nuts and seeds are high in fat, but these are mostly unsaturated.
- Nuts and seeds have an excellent quality protein.
- Pumpkin or squash seeds are the highest in protein of all commonly eaten seeds.
- Sunflower seeds are second highest in protein.
- Flaxseeds and sesame seeds are high in protein and a good source of calcium.
- Walnuts, almonds and cashews are the highest in protein of the commonly eaten nuts.
- Brazil nuts, pecans, filberts, and hazelnuts are higher in fat and have less protein proportionately.
- Coconut is lower in protein and higher in saturated fat than most other nuts.
- Beans (legumes) provide many nutrients including protein, low glycemic carbohydrates, vitamins, iron and calcium. They also contain soluble fiber, have no saturated fat and help stabilize blood sugar. The best beans for protein are soybeans (contain over twice as much protein as other beans), lentils, garbanzo and black beans.
There are four major principles of combining vegetable proteins to get all the essential amino acids found in complete proteins. Those principles are:
- Combine legumes with grains
- Combine nuts or seeds with legumes or grains
- Combine animal products with any vegetable product
- Add a small amount of meat to a meal of vegetables
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) Before we discuss the recommended daily allowance of protein, we need a basic understanding of protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is a process where the digestive system breaks down the protein we consume into their basic amino acids. Our cells rebuild them again, in a different order, to form the particular type of proteins they need. Chemicals left over after protein synthesis are converted to glucose and used for energy. Due to the body’s demand for protein, it is essential to include enough in our daily diet. Otherwise we start digesting the proteins in our muscle tissues (you lose muscle mass). It’s important that you get enough protein in your diet to avoid having your body turn to your muscle for protein. So how much protein does a guy need then? According to the US National Academy of Sciences, healthy people need about 0.8 grams of high quality protein, per kilogram of bodyweight – that’s just under 0.4 grams for every pound. Most people get more than the RDA in their daily diets. However, many experts say the RDA is too low for those who exercise on a regular basis and for those who want to increase muscle mass. Dr. Peter Lemon, a top researcher on this subject, wrote in a recent review paper that, “…the RDA for those engaged in regular endurance exercise should be about 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass (150%-175% of the current RDA) and 1.7-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass (212%-225% of the current RDA) for strength exercisers.” In addition, the current recommendation by the majority of bodybuilders, writers, coaches and others is one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight for athletes who want to increase muscle mass.
To calculate your weight in kilograms, divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2
Im not a serious bodybuilder and Im not trying to gain tons of muscle mass so to me, one gram of protein per kilogram of body mass seems to be more than I need (or am comfortable with taking). I strength train four times a week and aerobic exercise three times a week. What seems to work well for me is about 1.5-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, which for me is about 123 – 131 grams of protein per day. You will want to monitor and tweak your own protein intake to find an amount that works best for you and your fitness goals.
Click here to read Part 1: Complete Proteins
