Our Best Food Sources

               

 

You may be wondering where we are getting out protein if we don’t eat meat.  According to Dr. Joel Robbins in his book, Eating for Health and Wellness “To understand what complete proteins are, we must know how proteins are composed.  Proteins are composed of amino acids.  Amino acids are building blocks for proteins.  There are 23 different amino acids.  From these the body manufacturers the thousands of different proteins needed in the body.  Amino acids are much like the alphabet: with 26 letters we can compose thousands of words simply by rearranging their order. 

Of the 23 amino acids; 17 can be manufactured by the body.  These are termed non-essential amino acids.  However, the other 8 amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body, and so must be supplied directly to the body via food.  These 8 are thus termed essential amino acids.  A ‘complete protein’ is a food that contains all 8 of the essential amino acids.  If the food contains only some of the 8 essential amino acids, that food is known as an incomplete protein food. 

All meats and dairy products are complete protein foods.  Most fruits and vegetables are incomplete protein foods.  This means that generally any one fruit or vegetable does not contain all 8 essential amino acids.  But, all 8 essential amino acids are contained within a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Thus, as long as we are eating a good variety of raw fruits and vegetables, we will be getting all of the amino acids, essential and non-essential.

“Is it necessary to eat complete protein combinations each meal”?  In other words, some say that since most fruits and vegetables are not complete proteins in themselves, we must be sure to combine the right fruits and vegetables each meal to make up a complete protein picture. 

The answer is: How have cultures, the healthiest known, survived up to now not eating complete protein menus each meal?  How have they managed to remain alive not having wonderful charts to tell them which fruits and vegetables to combine to get complete proteins?  How did man survive on fruititarian/vegetarian fare before he even knew about such things as complete proteins and essential amino acids?

It so happens that the body has something called an amino acid pool.  This is located in the liver and bloodstream.  The purpose of the amino acid pool is to store amino acids – all amino acids – so that as the body needs them to manufacture protein, they are available. 

Therefore if our breakfast contains only 3 of the essential amino acids – not enough to make complete protein, these 3 are put into the amino acid pool. 

Next meal we may eat 2 additional of the essential amino acids, these too are sent to the amino acid pool.  Then at supper we may eat another variety of fruit, which will make up the missing 3.  Now the body can draw from the pool all that it needs to make up a complete protein. 

There are some fruits and vegetables that do, within themselves, contain complete proteins.  Some of these are: almonds, filberts, walnuts, pecans, dates, coconuts, okra, brazil nuts, tomatoes, bananas, squashes, carrots, corn, cabbages, broccoli, bean sprouts, sunflower seeds, eggplants and alfalfa sprouts.

When we eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fresh vegetable juices we have the best opportunity of receiving all of the protein and calcium our body needs.

 

 

Here is a sampling of some foods and their rich protein content:

 

Food                          Grams Protein

Kidney Beans                       17.75

Garlic                                     30.85

Parsley                                  16.70

Broccoli                                 16.35

Cauliflower                          12.30

Dandelion greens               12.00

Horseradish                         14.50

Leeks                                      11.30

Brussels sprouts                  27.51

Foods rich in Calcium

Most seeds, especially sesame seeds, strawberries, almonds, figs, broccoli, apricots, most fruits, especially oranges, most green vegetables, green leafy vegetables, papayas, most nuts, dates.

 

 

Foods rich in Potassium

Apricots, peaches, almonds, raisins, dates, figs, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, avocados, pecans, papayas, melons, sunflower seeds, carrots, beets, nectarines, cabbage, most fruits, especially bananas.

 

 

Foods rich in Iron

Dried beans (kidney, lima, chickpeas), broccoli, cabbage, spinach, nuts, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits (organic raisins, figs, dates, apricots).

 

 

Foods rich in Iodine

Squash, dark leafy greens, bananas, carrots, pineapples, strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes.

 

 

Foods rich in the Essential Fatty Acids, Omega 3 & 6

Flax seeds, green vegetables, nuts and seeds.

 

 

Foods rich in Vitamin C

Fruits, especially citrus fruits, vegetables, tomatoes and bell peppers.

 

 

High Calorie Vegan Foods

Avocados, olives, coconut, seeds, nuts.