Those new to switching to a plant based diet may have distant memories from biology or cookery lessons in the past about getting enough complete proteins and amino acids. Scientific understanding has moved on so much that it isn’t considered an issue any more, however given I was asked about it there is obviously still a need for information on it….
Amino acids are proteins and the building blocks of all our cells. Most of them we make ourselves but a few we have to eat as they are made by other species.
Meat – because it is another animal, and mostly protein, has all of those extra amino acids in one place – so in theory you are “sorted” when you eat it. But of course, meat doesn’t contain many other nutrients – is low in many vitamins and minerals, has no fibre and contains mostly saturated fat.
Most vegetable sources of protein have a range of these amino acids so to get everything, you need to eat a range of legumes, nuts, seeds, mushrooms and vegetables. The only legume with all of them is soy (that’s why it gets called a “complete protein”). However, by eating a range of different plant-based proteins you also get the full range of vitamins, minerals, loads of fibre and healthy fats….so the idea that it’s a good thing to get all your amino acids in one place is flawed to start with. It is much better to get them from a range of foods and to luck out with all the other nutrients you get by eating a range of foods as well.
Marionated 
Hi Marion, I was reading that quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids. Does that make it a complete protein like soy?
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Good Question Margaret,
Yes, I forgot about quinoa – it is indeed a complete protein, with a bit of everything, although slightly less total fibre and protein than whole soy beans.
It’s also an amaranthus which is the same family as spinach, beetroot and silverbeet so gives us a similar range of nutrients to those vegetables – very handy, given it’s often eaten in place of a less nutritious carbohydrate.
And we can now buy New Zealand grown quinoa from near Taihape….although I believe they have sold out pretty quickly in the last few years!
[from the site editor: sorry for the delay in answering this Margaret, my fault not Marion’s, she gave me a reply promptly! Anna]
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