/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Proteins in humans are made of chains of approximately 20 different amino acids. Of these amino acids, 11 of them can be manufactured by the body, changing one amino acid into another. 9 of them cannot, and have to be consumed in food for the body to use. These 9 are the “essential amino acids” (EAA)

A “Complete Protein” is a food that contains significant quantities of all 9 EAA.

Black beans contain a large amount of protein, and by themselves are almost a complete protein — black beans have, but are low in quantity, of one EAA, methionine.

Corn, on the other hand, has a decent panel of amino acids on its own, with a good level of methionine but a low level of lysine.

The combination should present a “complete protein”.

However, the idea that you need to eat a complete protein at every meal is somewhat discredited. It is important to get all the EAAs in your diet, but there is no need to make sure that they are all present in every meal.