How to Find Healthy Sources of Protein without eating meat

No meat products for my family. No cow, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey are consumed by us. However, it is important to mention that we do eat fish for the past few years.

The Building Blocks of Life:

• Protein is an important nutrient required for the building, maintenance, and repair of tissues in the body. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can be synthesized by the body or ingested from food. There are 20 different amino acids in the food we eat, but our body can only make 11 of them. The 9 essential amino acids, which cannot be produced by the body, must be obtained from the diet. A variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables can also provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies require. Excess protein has been linked with osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stones in the urinary tract, and some cancers. A varied diet of beans, lentils, grains, and vegetables contains all of the essential amino acids.

• Something everyone should know about protein: Every whole food contains protein! Carrots contain it, celery contains it. We do not have to restrict ourselves to nuts, seeds, and beans when thinking about protein. We certainly do not need to focus on animal products. The protein consumed from a balanced plant-based diet appears to be plenty. Many of us have been conditioned to worry about specific nutrients, such as protein. If we just consume the foods the human body is designed for, we don't have to worry about the nutrients and we should experience optimal health.

Chances are you already eat complete proteins without even trying. Here are some tasty and healthy complete protein combinations

• Beans on toast **
  Corn and beans **
  Hummus and pita bread **
  Nut butter on whole grain bread **
  Pasta with beans **
  Rice and beans, peas, or lentils **
  Split pea soup with whole grain or seeded crackers or bread **
  Tortillas with refried beans **
  Veggie burgers, or salmon burgers on bread **

HEALTHY SOURCES OF PROTEIN:

Legumes beans, lentils, peas ,
Cereals ,** Whole grains ** AS- brown rice, wild rice, quinoa*, Amaranth* barley buckwheat*, Rye
** Leafy green vegetables **, including spinach,
Nutritional yeast*
Nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts...
Seaweed - spirulina*, kelp, arame, Nori,
Seeds - hemp*, sesame, sunflower...
Vegetables - Brussel sprouts, potatoes, yucca,
Eggs ,
Fish ,
Yogurt ,
Milk (see below) ,
Cheese ,
Healthy Salmon Burgers,

• To learn more about how to have healthy eating habits with a whole foods diet
• Learn why soy products are not good
• Dangers of Soy Foods & Soy-Baby Formula