Question about complete protiens?!

Question about complete protiens?

HI.. I've been vegetarian for 17 years and loving it. Whenever people ask about protein I tell them that beans and rice eaten at the same meal make a complete protein.

BUT... I personally am not into the mexican "beans and rice" kind of dish. If I'm gonna eat rice, it needs to be with asian food.

So what I AM very much into is eating rice with tofu. Does anyone know if that counts? Since tofu is made from a bean? Does anyone know nutritionally how it compares to say.. eating black beans or pinto beans with rice?

Just curious.

1 day ago
Kitkat

No, the theory that we need meat to be healthy is what was proven false. Give me documentation and proof, and I'll take a look at it.

1 day ago
I wish I could stomach brown rice better. Sigh... I SOOOO much prefer white. . BUt I'm trying to do at least half/half, even though I have to cook them separately and brown rice takes almost an hour to cook.. BUt I'm trying!!

1 day ago
I'm sorry I was harsh to kitkat.. I assumed (which I shsouldn't have) that she was trying to tell me that vegetarianism isn't healthy and that we aren't really making up for lack of meat by combining to get complete protiens. I have just gotten burnt out on all the die-hard meat eaters trolling this forum and people saying we need meat to be healthy.

1 day ago
Thanks everyone for setting me straight. Again, I apologise, I was the unenlightened one. I had never heard that combining was out-of date. I made assumptions about Kitcats answer that I shouldn't have made.

Thanks!! VIVA la tofu!! I could eat the stuff 3 times a day. Course, that would be too much LOL.. But I love it. Guess I'm doing alright with protien!

3 sources:
1.
Need to Combine Plant Foods to get "Complete Proteins?"

Vegetable sources of protein (such as beans, peas, and grains) were once thought to be deficient in one or more essential amino acids. However, Western vegetarians rarely show protein deficiency or even deficiencies in any of the essential amino acids, thus the outdated belief that vegetarians need to be concerned about combining certain foods to obtain a balanced profile of amino acids has now been disproved by research and is universally rejected by scientists. Part of the reason that vegetarians do not need to “balance” amino acids is that the body’s requirement for essential amino acids now appears to be much less important than researchers once believed, especially in adults. In fact, it is now accepted that protein deficiencies rarely occur in people who simply eat enough calories.


2.
Do I need to combine proteins on a vegetarian/vegan diet?

Frances Moore Lappe popularised the idea of protein combining in her book "Diet for a Small Planet" in the '70s, however in her revised edition: "Diet for a Small Planet 10th Anniversary Revised Edition" she has since renounced it.

The 1988 position paper of the American Dietetic Association emphasized that, because amino acids obtained from food can combine with amino acids made in the body it is not necessary to combine protein foods at each meal. Adequate amounts of amino acids will be obtained if a varied vegan diet - containing unrefined grains, legumes, seeds, nuts and vegetables - is eaten on a daily basis.

and 3.

If you want to be absolutely certain that you are getting enough protein, you should eat food combinations which form a complete protein, such as:

* Legumes + seeds
* Legumes + nuts
* Legumes + grains

Chances are you already eat complete proteins without even trying. Here are some tasty and healthy complete protein combinations:

* Beans on toast
* Corn and beans
* Hummus and pita bread
* Nut butter on whole grain bread
* Pasta with beans
* Rice and beans, peas, or lentils
* Split pea soup with whole grain or seeded crackers or bread
* Tortillas with refried beans
* Veggie burgers on bread

Note that these combinations don't necessarily have to be eaten at the same time; you can eat one several hours after the other and still benefit from the complete protein.