How to get protein (food combining)??

So the other day I was in the dining room eating a salad with veggies and kidney beans

And one of the girls in my sorority came up to me saying "you know you're not getting any protein from those beans.. you have to eat them with rice because they are missing an amino acid"

 

I find this hard to believe... does anyone know if this is true?

Do I have to combine ALL sources of vegetarian protein with something like rice in order for my body to be fully nurished!?

Yeah - it's true.


You have to balance the proteins that you eat because if the protein didn't come from meat, it's incomplete.

It sucks.  I know.  D:

no, it is not true. it's just another diet myth.

your body does the protein completing itself. you don't need to make sure you are getting every single amino acid in every meal to be getting protein.

She's wrong. Legumes have plenty of protein (so do veggies) all by themselves.

all of the replies above are correct in their own right, but none of them tell the whole story. there are eight essential amino acids (out of like 20, total) that your body can't make itself and you have to eat (amino acids are what proteins are made of). most vegetarian sources of protein lack one or more of them, either completely or just in comparison to the rest. so, if you only ever eat one kind of food for protein (like beans) you won't be getting enough of the amino acids that beans are weak in. you don't have to eat rice with the beans in the same meal, but if you only ever eat beans, and never eat rice or wheat, you won't be getting enough of that particular essential amino acid. 

this wikipedia article explains it rather well: link!

It seems like all of the answers I received are different! I don't know who to believe..

 

I guess wikipedia?

Is there any type of vegetarian protein that contains all of the needed amino acids for complete protein?

i know soy and one other legume is a near comlete protein.. but i dont remember what the 2nd was... lentils maybe... but im not sure... also there are plenty of wheat sources... so just make sure yo uget plenty of those too!... the odd ones especially... quinoa n such

What it boils down to is that your body needs a wide variety of all kinds of different foods in order to be healthy.  Vegetables, fruit, beans, grains,.... dairy products, meat and fish if you eat those....  it's all good.   I don't know why some people want to turn a simple thing like eating into a kind of tortuous chemistry exam.  The human race has survived and thrived for centuries before the amino acid or the vitamin were discovered.  And, as it happens, many traditional combinations of foods turn out to bring out the best in each other quite naturally.   The ancient people of the Mediterranean didn't know when they put basil and tomatoes together that they complemented each other chemically.... they just knew they tasted bloody good!!!

Eat 'food' rather than 'nutrients', eat a broad range of foods, choose good quality foods,  enjoy what you eat, and you'll live a long and happy life.

Beans alone, are a incomplete protien, so combining them with a grain like rice, that has the protien that the beans lack, make a complete protien composition.

also, i personally feel that many people dont soak thier grains, and beans, or properly prepare them, they are going to be harder to digest and breakdown if they arnt properly soaked and cooked. a good example of properly prepared grain is real sourdough bread.

so if your diet is mostly grains and legumes, try to soak them for about 8 hours, and slowly cook them, serve them with some type of saturated and unsaturated fat to help digest the vitamins. Soy is complete, yes, but usually it does need to be soaked and fermented to be digestible.

From what I've read, you don't have to eat the beans and grains at the same time, a la rice & beans.  As long as you eat them throughout the day, you should be fine.

Original Post by fyrfli:

i know soy and one other legume is a near comlete protein.. but i dont remember what the 2nd was... lentils maybe... but im not sure... also there are plenty of wheat sources... so just make sure yo uget plenty of those too!... the odd ones especially... quinoa n such

 the second one is quinoa - complete protein from a non-meat source

Read Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe to learn about food combining.  In the first edition of the book she reccomended combining legumes with whole grains, seeds or dairy products in the same meal.  Later, she reversed herself when research showed that eating them separately provides the same quality protein.

There is a full explanation of how the amino acids combine.

As long as you eat a variety of whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes (and dairy if you eat dairy), there is no need to worry about the quantity or quality of protein you are getting.  Food is meant to be enjoyed, not worried over.

i eat grains with legumes/seeds/nuts with my main meals but thats cuz im a bit piggy with my food (which is why im here). i also eat about 5-8 times a day. & i usually eat them with some sort of fat. nuts have their own fats though.

its sort of the same thing that they say about veggies. to try to eat a rainbow of colours every week. some veggies have vitamins others dont or more of etc. as gi-jane pointed out eat a broad range of food. it doesn't nor it can't be at single every meal

i personally like trying out different combinations of veg protein sources, just to keep things interesting. i found i like bulgur a lot better than buckwheat. & i like black beans, kidney beans & chick peas better than any other type of legume. fav nust are cashew nuts. rye crisp bread & peanut butter for a snack, mmmm! some flax seed, oatmeal & some walnuts for breakfast, mmmm!

combinations are endless & can be fun if you like food.

oh yes & i strongly suggest soaking to release those protease inhibitors.

oh & i can't stand people pointing out things about my food while im trying to eat & enjoy it . next time tell that girl she's being rude & to mind her business.