A person doesn’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy a meal without meat. Beef, pork and chicken contain heart healthy protein but they each come with cholesterol. Experiment by mixing different legumes and grains with low fat dairy products and seeds to make a dish with a complete protein.
Animal meats contain all the essential amino acids needed for a complete protein. Since different plant groups contain different essential amino acids, combining them in the right combinations creates a complete protein.
Examples of the Different Groups
Legumes are the group that contains beans and peas. There are many choices here like the usual navy, black, pinto and kidney beans but also the lesser known but equally delicious and nutritious fava and cranberry bean. In the pea family, you can find split pea and lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans) and black eyed peas.
Grains include cornmeal, bulgur wheat, barley and oats. Rice is a grain, too, and includes all the varieties like brown, short grain and long grain varieties. For the grains, it is always best to choose whole grain varieties rather than the refined products.
Nuts and seeds can also be chosen in the mix, and almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts can be added as a quick topper or added to a recipe giving the dish the needed amino acids easily. Seeds include sunflower, sesame and pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
Low fat dairy products and eggs all contain complete proteins, and when added to a vegetable or grain dish makes it a complete protein.
Complete Protein Pairings
Here is a listing of combinations making a complete protein:
- Legumes with Grains
- Legumes with Nuts
- Legumes with Seeds
- Nuts/Seeds with Legumes
- Grains with Dairy
- Nuts/Seeds with Dairy
- Legumes with Dairy
- Dairy with Nuts/Seeds and Legumes
Recipes and Menu Ideas for Protein Pairings
Here are some menu ideas using the above parings.
- Legumes and Grains - Black Beans and Rice with Red Peppers: Saute diced red peppers and onions in a non stick skillet. Add in drained and rinsed canned black beans and left over long grain rice. Add in a bit of cumin, black pepper and fresh chopped tomatoes and parsley. Cook until hot and serve.
- Legumes and Seeds - Asian Noodles with Sesame Seed Dressing: Toss left over spaghetti pasta noodles with chopped green onions, julienne peppers, toasted sesame seeds and cilantro with a homemade dressing made with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, pepper, soy sauce and a bit of sugar.
- Grains with Dairy - Homemade Macaroni and Cheese: Make a white sauce using low fat milk and add in grated cheddar. Mix with pre cooked macaroni pasta and top with fresh bread crumbs and parmesan bake until bubbly and browned in the oven.
- Legumes with Dairy - Fresh Green Bean Salad with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing: Steam fresh trimmed green beans or frozen whole haricot verts and chill. Make a yogurt dressing with green onions, diced cucumbers, salt, pepper, dry mustard and paprika and toss with the chilled green beans.
Renee Shelton - Renee Shelton is a classically trained culinarian frequently writing about baking, healthy cooking, fishing & sewing.
