Can you get all the amino acids needed every day
from the food you eat? Also, what are some good sources?
The short answer is yes, you can get all the amino acids needed every
day from the food you eat. Especially if you choose foods from all
food groups, including two or three servings (5 to 6 ounces) of lean
meat, poultry, fish, eggs. Milk, cheese and yogurt are also
complete protein sources. Most Americans eat more than enough
protein.
There are 20 amino acids that make up the different proteins in our body. They are divided into two categories, essential and non-essential. Nine amino acids are considered essential because your body cant make them, your food choices must supply them. The remaining 11 amino acids are nonessential. Not because they are not important for good health, but because your body makes them if you consume enough (five to six ounces for a 2000 calorie diet) complete proteins each day.
Almost all foods with the exception of fruit contain some protein but the quality differs - we refer to them as complete and incomplete. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids. Good sources of complete proteins are foods from animal sources and soy. The protein in plant foods is incomplete because it lacks one or more essential amino acids.
The good news is that with a little planning
we can combine plant foods or a plant food and a little animal protein so
that all of the essential amino acids are present, resulting in a complete
protein source. You are probably already doing this with some of your
favorite food combinations. Some examples include bean burritos,
peanut butter and whole wheat bread sandwich, cereal and milk, beans and
rice, etc. Generally, when you combine legumes with grains, or legumes
with nuts or seeds, will get complete, high-quality protein. These are
called complimentary proteins. Using complimentary proteins is helpful for
planning low cost, low saturated fat meals.
References:
Duyff, RL. ADA Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Chronimed Publishing.
Minneapolis, MN. 1996
Insel P, Turner RE, Ross D. Discovering Nutrition. Jones and Bartlett
Publishers. MA. 2003.