Plant Protein Sources & Animal Protein Sources

All proteins are made up of amino acids, the amount and type of each amino acid however varies based on the protein source. ⠀

When eaten, protein is broken down into amino acids. These amino acids are classified as either essential OR non-essential.

It is vital that you get essential amino acids via your diet because your body cannot produce them. Non-essential amino acids however can be produced by the body and obtained from dietary sources.

You can get protein from both plant and animal sources!
Animal protein sources are considered to be complete sources of protein because they provide all essential amino acids needed by the body to function optimally.

Plant protein sources are considered to be incomplete. There are however some exceptions such as quinoa, chia seeds, hemp seeds and soy products (edamame, tempeh, tofu) which provide all 9 essential amino acids.

As always variety is key since both animal and plant foods provide other important nutrients, if you aren’t following a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle, incorporate balanced amounts of both sources into your diet