Complete Proteins

What's the deal about complete proteins?

Complete protein is defined on Wikipedia as: "A source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all of the essential amino acids for the dietary needs of humans or other animals." There are differing opinions on how necessary it is for every meal every day to include all 8 essential amino acids (see here and here). But what I know from personal experience is that it is very possible to eat complete proteins without eating a lot of meat. The days I eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch (on whole wheat bread, of course), I feel more completely full than days when I eat other types of sandwiches. The reason is because whole wheat bread + peanut butter = a complete protein. But as peanut butter isn't my favorite type of sandwich, this still isn't enough to keep me eating PB sandwiches every day... :)

Here is a chart and additional tips from BodyforLife2.com that I find helpful:

Combine Grains and Legumes	Combine Grains and Nuts/Seeds	Combine Legumes and Nuts/Seeds
Peanut butter on whole-wheat bread	Whole-wheat bun with sesame seeds	Humus (chickpeas and sesame paste)
Rice and beans	Breadsticks rolled with sesame seeds	Trail mix (peanuts and sunflower seeds)
Bean soup and a roll	Rice cakes with peanut butter
Salad with chickpeas and cornbread
Tofu-vegetable stir-fry over rice or pasta
Vegetarian chili with bread

Also, by adding small amounts of animal protein (meat, eggs, milk, or cheese) to any of the groups, you create a complete protein. Here are some examples:

• Casserole with a small amount of meat
• Salad with beans and a hard cooked egg
• Yogurt with granola
• Bean and cheese burrito
• Oatmeal with milk