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Proteins are composed of amino acids.  Proteins are linked chains of amino acids that contain the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur. The most important part of proteins are the amino acids.  Most of the amino acids for protein can be manufactured in the body.  However, there are several essential amino acids that can not be made by the body and must be obtained from our diet.  The indispensable amino acids are: lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, arginine and histidine. The amino acids supplied from dietary protein are needed for synthesis of body proteins in muscle, organs, bone and skin, and for synthesis of enzymes, certain hormones, antibodies and a number of other specialized products. Most protein provide 4 kilocalories (what we call a calorie) of energy per gram.  A protein that weighs 20 grams, for example, would contain: 20 grams X 4 cals per gram = 80 calories.  The energy value of dietary protein is generally considered to be an even 4 kilocalories per gram Meat protein and plant protein are both good as long as they contain "complete protein."  Virtually all unprocessed foods contain protein. Animal proteins (meat, milk, eggs) are excellent in both protein quantity and quality. This is because it is considered “complete protein” or protein that contains all the amino acids needed to build new proteins. Plant proteins vary in protein quantity and quality and are considered ”incomplete” protein because they lack one or more amino acids that the body can't make from scratch or create by modifying another amino acid.    Vegetarians need to be aware of this. To get all the amino acids needed to make new protein - and thus to keep the body's systems in good shape - people who don't eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy products should eat a variety of protein-containing foods each day.  Members of the bean family: soybeans, kidney beans, navy beans, and lima beans split peas and lentils are rich in protein, and the protein quality is also very as well. Potatoes have good protein quality but not quantity. Breads, cereals, fruits and most leaf and stem vegetables are not considered good sources of high-quality protein. Most foods are not 100% protein, or 100% fat, or 100% carb.  They are usually a combination, so look at how the food nutrients are distributed.  Many believe that animal protein and vegetable protein probably have the same effects on health; but  It's the protein package itself that makes a difference.  A Porterhouse steak is a great source of complete protein But it also delivers a fair amount of fat and most of that is saturated fat.  That's almost three-fourths of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. Combining certain foods together (e.g. beans with corn) results in a complementary effect in which the protein quality of the combination is superior to either food consumed alone.

Protein

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