by Shelly Guzman, Bastyr Dietetic Intern
We know that getting protein in our diet is important for our health, but why? We don’t need a lot of protein to meet our body’s needs but we do need some. Protein is primary to life as part of every cell, tissue, and fluid in our bodies. Proteins are made from amino acids, which can be thought of as building blocks. The body uses 20 different amino acids to build proteins. There are some amino acids that the body cannot make in required amounts. These are called essential, and they must come from food.
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. Incomplete protein sources 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. This is especially important for vegetarians who do not eat animal proteins. Technically, complementary proteins do not need to be eaten together as long as the day’s meals supply them all, but its easier to make sure you get them all in if you eat them together.
Here is a list of some food pairings that make a complete protein:
• Legumes with grains, nuts, seeds,or dairy
• Grains with dairy
• Dairy with nuts
• Dairy with nuts/seeds and legumes
And here are some common meal items that naturally complement each others’ proteins:
• Beans and rice or tortillas
• Peanut butter sandwich
• Macaroni and cheese
• Tofu with rice (or any grain)
• Hummus with pita bread
• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Yogurt with nuts
• Noodle stir-fry with peanut or sesame seed sauce
• Lentil soup or dairy-based soup with bread
• Whole grain cereal with milk
• Pizza
• Lasagna
• Tacos filled with beans or lentils
• Quinoa salad with black beans and feta
Try this recipe for dinner tonight!
Pasta with Spinach and Garbanzo Beans
3 to 6 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 14-ounce can chicken broth, regular or low sodium
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 10-ounce package frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, or 1 bag fresh baby spinach
12 ounces (350g) pasta, such as shells or penne
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional: Diced cooked chicken
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour in chicken broth and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
4. Add garbanzo beans and spinach; boil 1 minute. Transfer spinach mixture to large bowl.
5. Add pasta. Drizzle pasta with remaining 2 to 4 teaspoons olive oil and toss.
6. Season pasta generously with pepper. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle grated parmesan. Toss well and enjoy!
Yield: 4 hearty servings
Nutrition Information (per serving): 500 calories, 87g carbohydrates, 20g protein, 8g fat
Recipe reprinted from Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook (4th ed.) by Nancy Clark
Go Huskies!!
