Protein is necessary for critical processes such as immune function, cellular processes, cell structure, and growth, among others. Thus, it is essential to consume enough protein on a daily basis.
You can get protein from many food sources, including plants and animals.
Some people say that it doesn’t matter if protein is from animals or plants. Others say that one type of protein is better than the other.
The amino acid content can differ
Proteins are made up of amino acids. The human body uses about 20 different amino acids to build proteins.
Your body can produce some amino acids on its own, but you have to obtain the remaining nine through your diet, which are known as essential amino acids.
Protein sources can vary greatly in the types of amino acids they contain.
Generally, animal proteins are known as complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids.
Some plant proteins like pea protein and soybeans are complete, but other plant foods don’t have all the necessary proteins, so they are incomplete.
Plant-based foods like beans, peanuts, and wheat have a lot of protein in them, but they might be missing some important amino acids. You can fix this by mixing different types of plant-based proteins to get everything your body needs.
A peanut butter sandwich is a good example of a complete protein source. Wheat used to make bread doesn’t have much of the amino acid lysine, but peanuts have plenty of it. This makes a peanut butter sandwich a complete protein meal or snack.
It is important that people following a vegetarian or vegan diet enjoy a variety of plant-based protein sources to ensure they are getting all the essential amino acids.



















