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Not all Protein is Created Equal

Not all Protein is Created Equal

How the Amino Acid Profile of a Protein Affects our Long-Term Health

In recent years, there has been a focus on comparing the quality of proteins based on whether they are complete or incomplete.  This is an argument that vegans often face when discussing plant-based protein and vegan nutrition. However, the quality of a protein should not rely simply on how many or which amino acids it contains. Instead, quality depends on the overall health effects of such amino acids.  According to recent studies, there’s one amino acid that could pose a threat to our longevity (1). While protein is necessary for health and fitness, it’s important to know how much is needed and what sources are best for long-term health. The more information we are faced with, the harder it is to know what kind of protein to shop for. Today, I am going to help you scratch some items off the list.

non-vegan-grocery-receipt
Shopping for healthy groceries has never been harder than it is now in 2024.

What is Methionine and What does it Do?

It is widely known that the human body needs 20 amino acids (the building blocks of protein), nine of which are considered essential and need to be obtained through diet. A “complete” protein would be one that contains all nine essential amino acids; this includes phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, leucine, and lysine. The protein profile of food is generalized to total protein content and much less often to amino acid content. What we rarely hear about is how much of each amino acid we need and how to obtain each one.

Methionine, an essential amino acid, has been studied over the years for its effect on chronic disease development and longevity. Specifically, a low methionine diet has been associated with a longer lifespan (1). The reason for this is that methionine may induce oxidative stress, which can negatively impact aging and metabolic processes, leading to problems like obesity and diabetes (1). Interestingly, the types of foods that typically contain high levels of methionine have been associated with chronic disease in multiple other studies. As a plant-based nutritionist, I am particularly interested when finding a connection between plant-based nutrition and longevity.

Plant-Based Protein vs Animal-Based Protein

According to this nutrient search tool, foods highest in methionine are primarily animal-based foods, including chicken, turkey, lamb, steak, pork, tuna, and other fish. The highest plant-based source of methionine is firm tofu, ranking 154th on the list (2). Perhaps, the issue is not methionine itself but the “antinutrients” contained in animal products that associate methionine to chronic disease and premature death. Meat, poultry, and fish products contain cholesterol and saturated fats, whereas plant-based foods are cholesterol-free and tend to be low in saturated fats.

firm-tofu-plant-based-protein-methionine
Firm Tofu, the highest plant-based source of methionine (2), Tofu is a complete plant-based protein source for vegans, as it contains all of the essential amino acids.

It is true that, in most cases, animal-based foods contain more protein than plant-based foods, and it is much easier to obtain protein by eating meat, poultry, and fish. The real question is, does higher protein necessarily mean higher quality? All in all, it seems that animal-based products are a higher risk for disease development. The more time I spend analyzing research findings, the more I find that a balanced plant-based diet is the best diet for longevity.

  1. Kitada, M., Ogura, Y., Monno, I., Xu, J., & Koya, D. (2021). Effect of methionine restriction on aging: Its relationship to oxidative stress. Biomedicines, 9(2), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9020130
  1. (n.d.). Highest methionine foods. MyFoodData. Retrieved July 31, 2024, from https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrient-ranking-tool/methionine/all/highest/household/common/no
Plant Based Protein | Methionine
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Homemade Almond Milk and Almond Crackers

almond-meal-crackers-plant-based-nutrition-and-fitness-blog

Finally, A Two-In-One Recipe for Homemade Almond Milk with no wasted leftovers! No second guessing.

Homemade Almond Milk Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours
  • 3 1/2 cups water, filtered
  • 4 raw dates, pitted
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of salt
ninja and nut bag
You’ll need a nut bag and food processor, something like this.

Instructions: After preparing the above ingredients, all you need to do is mix the ingredients on high-speed for at least 1 minute in a food processor until smoothe. (Then, convert to a blender if you want to extract more homemade almond milk.) Use a nut bag to strain your homemade almond milk mixture into a medium sized bowl, as pictured below.

homemade almond milk
Homemade Almond Milk, strained into a bowl. It smells and tastes wonderful!

 

Squeeze any remaining liquid from the nut bag until most of the milk is strained into the bowl.  Pour milk from the bowl, into a sealed tight bottle (like below) and store in the refrigerater for up to 5 days.

homemade almond milk bottle
Here is what this mixture looks like in a gallon jug. All you need is a a 32oz bottle! If you want more homemade almond milk, double or triple this recipe.

Once you store your homemade almond milk in the fridge, immediately move onto the following recipe.

Use your Remaining Almond Meal for these Delicious Crackers!

almond meal crackers
The most delicious cracker recipe in the entire southwest ;)

Sweet and Salty Almond Cracker Recipe:

  • Leftover Almond Meal from the above Homemade Almond Milk recipe
  • 1-1/2 T Sesame Oil
  • 1 tsp basil (for basil lovers like myself ;) )
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp sage
  • 1/4 tsp thyme

Instructions: It doesn’t get any easier than this!  Preheat your oven the 375, then mix all of the ingredients together with a spatula. Place parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and use the spatula to flatten out your cracker mix into a 1/4″ thick paste across the sheet (careful to keep the corners and edges 1/4″ thick as well). Form the paste into a nicely shaped rectangle.   Once you complete this, carefully use a sharp knife to press down into the paste to create square crackers!  (If you slide the knife too quickly, the almond meal may crumble!) Now they are ready to be baked for 8-10 minutes.  Keep an eye on it to make sure to pull out the dough once the edges start to brown.

homemade almond meal crackers
sweet and salty almond meal, sliced into square crackers onto a baking sheet

There you have it! A homemade almond milk recipe with no leftover waste! Complete with sweet and salty almond crackers for the win! And trust me they’re so good you won’t want to leave any behind ;)

almond meal crackers
After your first bite, you will be thinking about your next batch!
almond meal cracker crumbs
The Crumbs are All that is Leftover From this Recipe!

There’s no better way to make Homemade Almond Milk and Almond Meal Crackers :)

Created by Kelly Gibson from Kelly Athletics LLC.

Contact Me for More Dairy-Free Recipes or Info about Plant-Based Nutrition Coaching:

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    Kelly is a Vegan Personal Trainer and Plant-Based Nutrition Coach, with over 4 years of experience creating plant-based recipes.

    These recipes are inspired by:

      1. YumUniverse
      2. OhSheGlows