Complete protein: a food protein that contains all the essential amino acids, the building blocks your body cannot make itself, in the right proportions.
Why complete protein matters
Your body uses protein to build and repair muscle, bone, skin, hormones and enzymes.
Plant protein:
- Most single plant foods are low in one or more essential amino acids, so their protein is considered lower quality on its own.
- This worries many vegetarians, but India's National Institute of Nutrition notes that a combination of cereals, millets and pulses supplies amino acids that complement each other, giving better quality protein.
As you get older, getting enough good quality protein helps you hold on to muscle.
Complete protein in Indian food
If you're vegetarian, the classic Indian pairings already do the job.
- Dal with rice
- Rajma with roti
- Idli with sambar
- Khichdi
- Besan with wheat
You don't need to combine everything in one meal, because your body pools amino acids over the day.
- Add milk, curd or paneer through the day, and eggs or fish if you eat them.
- Try to include some protein in each meal rather than saving it all for dinner.
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Checked against: ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition: Dietary Guidelines for Indians, A Manual. General information, not medical advice.
Related words
Amino acidsProteinPulsesSarcopeniaMacronutrientsKhichdi
Foods to read about
Paneer (Chhena)Boiled eggMoong dalSoya bean (Bhatmas)Cow's milk
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