26/09/2017
Excellent Food Combination for Complete Amino Acids
Prepared by Dietian Princy Gigo
Dedicating to all my Friends,Families and all those who wants to eat and live healthy.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Every cell in your body needs amino acids to make protein to survive, they are used to build muscles and simple structures of the cell membranes.
Each and every amino acid in our body, functions differently to maintain our body well and healthy.
Every time when our body don’t get adequate amount of amino acids to perform these functions, changes started to happen which lead to a symptom later a disease.
Types of Amino Acids
Essential Amino Acids and non essential amino acids
Non-Essential Amino Acids are amino acids that body synthesise on its own.
An essential amino acid is an amino acid our body needs to function properly but cannot be made inside our body, so we have to get it daily through our food.
Sources of amino acids in food
There are 2 types of protein sources
• Complete protein source- Complete protein foods have all the essential amino acids. In general, animal foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fish are complete protein sources and our body can absorb them easily.
Even though they are complete proteins many health issues are reported by the excessive use of animal products especially red meat and its link to cancer. So limiting there intake and having more plant based diet will have a positive effect on our health in the long term
• Incomplete protein sources- Incomplete protein sources are plant based but have only low amounts of some of the essential amino acids. Combining two or more foods with incomplete proteins, to form complementary proteins, can provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. Complementary proteins do not need to be eaten together in one meal, so long as the day's meals supply them all.
Excellent Food combination for complete amino acid protein meal.
1. Grains with Legumes
2. Grains with Dairy
3. Grains with Nuts and Seeds
4. Legumes with Nuts and Seeds
5. Legumes with Dairy
6. Dairy with Nuts and Seeds
1. Grains with Legumes
Examples of meal menu that provide complete proteins
• Beans with Tortillas or Chapathi or Pita
• Peanut butter Sandwich
• Hummus with Pita bread
• Tacos filled with Beans or Lentils
• Rice and Beans,
• Pea soup and Toast
• Lentil curry and Rice or Chapathi
2.Grains with Dairy
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Cheese sandwich
• Rice pudding,
• Rice with curd
• Tofu with Rice (or any grain)
• Grilled cheese/ tofu sandwich
• Whole grain cereal with milk
• Lasagna
• Quinoa salad with black beans and feta
3.Grains with nuts and seeds
• Noodle stir-fry with peanut and sesame seed sauce
• Rice with sesame seed garnish
4.Legumes with Nuts and Seeds
• Nut bars with peanuts and sesameseeds
• Sesame rolls
• Mixed granola bars
• Garbanzo beans and sesame seeds,
• Hummus as dip,
• Falafel
5. Legumes with Dairy
• Lentil soup or dairy-based soup with bread
• Grilled tofu with bean salad
6.Dairy with Nuts and Seeds
• Yogurt with nut
• Cheese and mixed nut salad
The menu are just examples on how u can combine these food groups for a complete meals and also make healthy snacks from it.
Find your favourite and make your own healthy and tasty amino acid meal. Enjoy healthy food for a healthy long life.
