What Vegan Protein Powder Is a Complete Protein?

When you’re looking for a vegan protein powder to add to your health and wellness regimen, finding one that’s high-quality is key. It should be non-GMO, pharmaceutical-grade, sourced from high-quality farms, and contain no additives like gums, emulsifiers, or sugar alcohols. The vegan protein powder you choose should also be third-party tested to ensure its of the highest quality. And, to get all the benefits of a good protein powder, it should be a complete protein. Let’s dive into what that means and what to look for. 

Which Plant Proteins are Complete Proteins? 

A complete protein is any food source that contains all nine essential amino acids. Protein consists of 20 amino acids. Eleven of these, your body produces on its own. The other nine are not produced by your body and must be obtained from your diet—these are the essential amino acids! The nine essential amino acids are: 

1. Histidine - helps make histamine, which is a neurotransmitter that impacts your sleep, digestion, and immune system.

2. Isoleucine - helps with muscle metabolism, energy regulation, and producing hemoglobin.

3. Leucine - helps grow and repair muscles, heal wounds, and regulate blood sugar.

4. Lysine - aids in protein synthesis, absorbing calcium, and producing hormones and enzymes.

5. Methionine - helps your body grow tissue, supports metabolism, helps detox, and helps absorb zinc and selenium. 

6. Phenylalanine - helps your body produce dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine—chemicals in your brain that impact mood, sleep, and your appetite.

7. Threonine - helps your body synthesize collagen and elastin, and helps form blood clots.

8. Tryptophan - helps your body maintain nitrogen balance and form serotonin.

9. Valine - helps grow muscles, regenerate tissue, and produce energy.

Plant-Based Complete Proteins

All animal proteins are complete: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. It’s a common misconception that being vegetarian or eating plant-based means you will not be able to consume complete proteins. But there are vegan complete proteins! Plant-based proteins that are complete are: 

• Soy products like tofu, edamame, and tempeh

• Quinoa

• Buckwheat

• Chia seeds

• Hemp seeds

• Avocados - these contain all nine essential amino acids but are not a significant source of protein per serving (approx 2-3 grams of protein per avocado)

• Pistachios 

• Blue-green algae like spirulina

• Amaranth

• Ezekiel bread - bread made from sprouted whole grains and legumes.

• Nutritional yeast - a deactivated strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae that has a cheese-like flavor.

• Rice and beans

• Chickpeas

In addition to adding these ingredients to your diet, finding a vegan protein powder made from some of these protein sources or other blends is a great way to get more complete protein into your diet. Nourify® PLUS, for example, is made from a yellow pea and brown rice protein blend. It boasts 10-20+ grams of complete protein per serving.

What Vegan Combinations Make a Complete Protein

While many single-origin plant-based complete proteins exist, combining certain foods can create an even more complete amino acid profile. For example, rice and beans make a great pair. Both brown and white rice are low in lysine—an amino acid that aids in protein synthesis, absorbing calcium, and producing hormones and enzymes—but high in methionine. In contrast, beans are high in lysine but low in methionine—an amino acid that helps your body grow tissue, supports metabolism, helps detox, and helps absorb zinc and selenium. Pita and hummus is another great combination. The wheat to make pita is low in lysine, but chickpeas—which are the main ingredient in hummus—are rich in lysine! 

Another way to ensure you’re getting complete protein is to eat complementary proteins. This is when you eat two or more food sources with incomplete protein profiles in combination, and they provide all the essential amino acids your body needs. Two or more incomplete protein sources essentially create a complete protein. One example of this is to eat a peanut butter sandwich—peanuts provide the amount of lysine that wheat bread lacks. 

Are Green Split Peas a Complete Protein?

Green split peas are not considered a complete protein. While they have all essential amino acids, they are too low in methionine and cysteine to be classified as complete. But when combined with other plant-based proteins to create a complete amino acid profile, green split peas are a good source of protein. 

Yellow peas, in contrast, are a complete protein! They are also rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are gentle on the digestive tract, and are allergen-free. In Nourify® PLUS, we use a blend of yellow pea protein and brown rice protein, giving you a vegan protein powder that is high in protein and gives you all the amino acids you need. 

Do Lentils and Rice Make a Complete Protein? 

Combining lentils and rice—either in a meal or in a protein powder—does create a complete protein, but lentils on their own are not complete. Given their protein content, however, they are a great source of vegan protein. Combining lentils with rice creates a complete protein source. Lentils are high in lysine but low in methionine, and rice is the opposite. Lentils are also a great source of fiber and protein, while rice is a good source of carbohydrates! Lentils and rice are a classic, delicious, balanced combination that gives you a good dose of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. 

Conclusion

Finding a vegan protein powder that offers a complete protein profile is crucial! Since a complete protein has the nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own, it’s necessary for you to supplement these nutrients through your diet. Nourify® PLUS is high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade, non-GMO, gluten, dairy, and soy free, and contains no added gums, emulsifiers, or sugar alcohols. It boasts 10-20+ grams of protein per serving, as well as probiotics and digestive enzymes to help with your overall digestion and gut health. Get yourself a bottle of Nourify® PLUS in vanilla or chocolate to give yourself a protein boost any time of day—whether you make a smoothie, protein ice cream, or add it to baked goods, Nourify® PLUS is a great addition to your daily health regimen.