Proteins are composed of amino acids, a kind of essential food that the body cannot store. This is why it is essential to integrate them into your daily diet. But beware, not all of them are equal.
What is the difference between animal and vegetable proteins ?
Animal proteins are proteins derived from meat and meat products (deli meats), fish and seafood, milk and dairy products or eggs. Proteins are part of the seven basic components of our diet along with carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, trace elements and minerals and water. These are the only sources of nitrogen (N) that humans can use, as nitrogen is essential for life.
Chicken breast
Pink shrimp
Turkey escalope
Cottage cheese
Gouda
Gruyère cheese
Serrano Dry Ham
Parmesan cheese
Smoked salmon
Tuna
Some vegetable proteins may have a limiting content of certain essential amino acids, lysine for cereals, and sulphur amino acids for legumes.
To obtain a balanced diet of amino acids from vegetable proteins, it is thus necessary to combine different vegetable foods: legume seeds (lentils, beans, peas, etc.) with cereals (rice, wheat, corn, etc.).
The plant foods with the highest protein content are oil seeds (peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.), legumes and their derivatives (tofu, chickpeas, beans, etc.) and cereals.
Almonds
Oat flour
Flax seeds
Sesame seeds
Chia seeds
Soya beans
Lenses
Split peas
Chickpeas
Rice
It is obviously necessary to vary your protein intake by alternating proteins from animal and vegetable sources in order to balance your diet, guaranteeing good health.