First of all we need to understand what a protein is and where we can get these essential elements for our daily diet.

Proteins are biological polymers, that is molecules composed of amino acids bound together and that can form many types of proteins, even large ones with different specific activities for the functionality of our body.

Some proteins are necessary for the structure of the body to create tissues, tendons and even hair . Other proteins are used for contractility such as myosin and actin in the muscles or they serve for the energy reserve like ovalbumin that is present in the white part of the egg.

Other proteins are specific for the defense of our body such as antibodies or proteins used for transport as in the case of hemoglobin in the blood.

Finally there are regulatory proteins such as hormones and the same enzymes are proteins capable of catalyzing the chemical functions that occur in our body.

These proteins are all formed by agglomerates of amino acids. These amino acids are the basic building blocks for creating proteins and are chemically formed from an amino group and a carboxylic group. Without going into too much detail, we can say that there are 20 different types of these bricks and that 8 of them are indispensable and cannot be produced independently in our body so we need to integrate them through the foods we eat.

The 8 essential amino acids are phenylalanine, isoleucine, valine, leucine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine and histidine. These amino acids must therefore be taken into our diet so that it is balanced and does not end up in nutritional deficiencies .

Plant foods rich in proteins

In plant foods we have a wide range of foods rich in protein or better than simple amino acids so it will be enough to have a good variety of plant foods to avoid any problem of nutritional deficiency .

Legumes and cereals

Plant foods that contain more protein and amino acids are legumes. In particular the beans in their infinite varieties but also the chickpeas, lentils, peas, green beans, grass peas, lupins and broad beans.

Of oriental origin, on the other hand, legumes such as yellow soybeans but also mugo beans and red soybeans, tempeh and tofu . All these legumes and their derivation products are an excellent vegetable source of proteins that we can include in our diet.

Legumes can be added to the diet several times a week and are often recommended together with cereals that are another protein source . Pasta and beans or the classic rice and peas are simple examples of a balanced food combination from the protein point of view.

In fact, in legumes the two essential amino acids - methionine and cysteine ​​- are deficient while all the other amino acids are present, including tryptophan and lysine. In contrast, in cereals we find methionine and cysteine ​​but we lack tryptophan and lysine. Through the association of legumes and cereals we can obtain a perfect protein complementation that ensures the right supply of amino acids to our body.

The choice of grains must take place towards the consumption of a grain in integral form or semi-integrated, instead avoiding white flours and too refined products. Furthermore, it is essential to vary the type of cereal avoiding to eat wheat every day but also choosing between rice, spelled, oats, corn, barley, and even amaranth, millet, quinoa and buckwheat.

These last 3 cereals are actually called pseudocereals because they do not botanically belong to the grass family, that is to say real cereals, but at nutritional level they are comparable to cereals having a biological value between 12 and 18%. However all these cereals or pseudocereals have a great wealth of amino acids and are certainly to be included in our diet.

Seeds and dried fruit

Another excellent source of vegetable protein is seeds such as hemp, chia, pumpkin and sunflower but also oily seeds like almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, the nuts of the Amazon etc.

All of these seeds contain more than 20% protein and are excellent for supplementing with vitamins, mineral salts and essential fatty acids . Indicatively it is advised to consume 10 to 20 g of seeds per day and their use in the kitchen is very versatile as they can be eaten so naturally or prepared as energy bars for snacks, chopped in salads or on fruit salads and even inserted into recipes of sauces, sauces, desserts and in yogurt.

Soy and seitan based products

Soy is a legume that is widely used as a source of integration of proteins of plant origin. Only many products are processed, extracted and processed from yellow soybeans that are used and sold as a substitute for food of animal origin such as milk, yogut and cheese .

In fact, from the soybean we get tempeh, tofu, soy yogurt, soy milk but also sauces and condiments like tamari. The tofu for example has a protein content per 100 g of product of 10% protein and the tempeh even reaches 20%.

So yellow soy is another good source of vegetable protein whether it is consumed as a legume or as a soy processing product.

The only advice for the use of soy is to not exceed in daily consumption since this legume is a traditional product in the East while our body in Italy may not recognize it well and also the excessive use of soy could lead to a excess of proteins and nitrogenous substances harmful to our body.

Seitan is another source of vegetable protein that is highly recommended for dietary supplementation especially for those who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet . The seitan is obtained from the processing of wheat through which the protein part of the wheat called gluten is extracted.

Then the recipe calls for flavoring with herbs, seaweed, herbs and cooking in soy sauce. The product obtained is therefore composed of gluten and contains approximately 35 g of vegetable protein per 100 g of product.

Its consistency is firm and the taste can vary a lot depending on the recipes: it is very appreciated as a meat substitute . It does not contain cholesterol, it is poor in fats and its richness in proteins is so high that it is still advised to consume it a few times a week so as not to run into excess protein.

Other sources of vegetable protein

Other foods that contain good amounts of vegetable protein and amino acids are apricots, raw spinach, cabbage and broccoli but also artichokes, peppers, asparagus, potatoes and avocado .

These foods can then in turn be associated with other protein sources and prepare recipes such as veggie burgers which are thus another excellent vegetable source of protein .

Spirulina algae is also an excellent supplement from the amino acid point of view and is often recommended to cover the need for essential amino acids. Its name is Arthrospira platensis and is usually sold as a natural powder or capsule supplement but sometimes it is fresh.