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When choosing foods that are good sources of protein it is important to consider not only the amount of protein the food provides but also the quality of the protein present.
There are two types of proteins – incomplete and complete. ‘Complete’ proteins contain all the amino acids required to build new protein. Animal foods are considered to be complete proteins and some examples of good protein sources are meat, seafood, chicken, eggs, milk and milk products. However, plant foods such as legumes, cereals and nuts are considered to contain ‘incomplete’ protein. This means that a wide variety of plant foods required to ensure that vegetarians receive all the amino acids required in the body for building protein.
When choosing foods as a protein source, we need to be aware of the other components present in the food. Often high-protein foods are also high-fat foods, especially meat sources of protein. Choosing foods from both plant and animal sources should give a high protein intake without dramatically increasing fat intake.