What the heck is an amino acid and why should you care?
The human body needs 20 amino acids to function. On its own, our bodies can produce 11 of those 20 amino acids. The remaining 9 have to come from the food we eat. A complete protein is a food that contains all 9 of those amino acids: leucine, histidine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, and valine.
Non-vegan complete proteins include:
- Yogurt
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Red meat
Vegan Complete Proteins (including but not limited to):
- Quinoa (1 cup cooked = 8 g protein) *
- Rice + beans
- Tofu
- Nutritional yeast
- Pita + hummus
- Peanut butter sandwich
- Buckwheat
- Seitan
* For context, the average woman should eat between 50-60 g of protein per day.
From a dietary perspective, our bodies do not need all 9 essential amino acids at every meal, just all 9 essential amino acids once per day. To ensure you’re getting all the necessary amino acids on a vegan diet, eat a wide range of whole foods. Maybe try eating the rainbow of fruits and veggies in a day.
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