Eight Complete Vegan Protein Sources

When considering a vegan diet people often wonder about getting enough protein - especially complete proteins. There are actually many different sources of complete proteins available within a vegan diet, but not all plant-based proteins are complete protein sources on their own. In this article you can learn about great plant based vegan protein sources and which ones are complete vegan proteins.

What are complete proteins?

Proteins are long chains of smaller building blocks called amino acids. There are twenty overall - eleven that our body can make on its own, and nine essential amino acids that must be consumed in our diet. These nine essential amino acids are: 

• Histidine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine

When a protein contains all nine of these amino acids, it is considered a complete protein.Many animal-based protein sources contain all of the essential amino acids - like beef, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Our body requires all of the essential amino acids for a variety of functions from building muscle to metabolising food for energy or other basic functions. When a protein doesn’t contain all nine of the essential amino acids - like some vegan protein sources – it's considered incomplete.

Eight vegan complete protein sources 

Here’s a list of complete vegan protein sources:1. QuinoaAn ancient grain with a nutty flavour that is great alternative to rice or oatmeal, it can be used for any meal of the day or added to salads and other main dishes to increase protein content. 100g cooked quinoa provides: 4g protein and 3g of fibre.2. TofuMade from fermented soy beans (a vegan complete protein), tofu is a versatile protein that's available in many different textures, from silken to extra firm, and takes on the flavour of other foods you cook with it - making it easy to incorporate as a meat alternative. 100g of extra firm tofu contains 13g of protein3. TempehAnother soy-based protein source, tempeh is a compressed soy product that often contains other grains to boost protein content. 100g of tempeh contains 19g of protein.4. EdamameWhole soybeans in their pod, edamame are a delicious vegan protein that is often added to stir fries or served as a side dish. 100 grams of edamame can contain about 11g of complete protein.5. PistachiosPistachios are a complete protein source that is easy to carry on the go or add to other meals or snacks. 100g of raw pistachios contain 20g of protein.6. Chia seedsChia seeds are a vegan high protein source, great to make chia pudding or add to smoothies, with 100g containing about 18g of protein.7. Hemp seedsContaining up to 30% protein, hemp seeds are another versatile protein that are easy to add to any foods from smoothies to salads for some crunch and punch of protein. 100g of hemp seeds contain up to 25g of protein.8. BuckwheatBuckwheat is a grain like seed that is often ground into flour and used for a high protein, gluten free alternative to wheat flour or other cereal grains. 100g of dry buckwheat contains 13g of protein.While other plant-based protein sources can be high in protein or contain many of the essential amino acids, they need to be combined to make complete proteins in adequate amounts. This is why vegan protein sources like rice and beans are often combined - they offer complementary amounts of different amino acids to make complete proteins.

Take home message

While there are many sources of plant based protein, few vegan protein sources are true complete proteins - containing all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts. If you are focused on complete vegan proteins, shoot for soy products, grains like quinoa and buckwheat, pistachios, chia and hemp seeds. Combining other plant based protein foods throughout the day can help you get adequate essential amino acids in your diet.