The fitness industry is flooded with marketing around protein. This is for good reason: if you’re following an exercise plan, it’s essential to eat enough protein every day. The average non-fitness focused American consumes way too many carbs with mindless snacking, and likely not enough protein in any given day. But not all proteins are created equal! There are complete and incomplete proteins, meat and plant-based proteins, and lots of bogus products marketed as a protein source; it is especially important to read the labels to know what exactly you’re consuming and how much, and it is especially crucial for vegetarians and vegans to make sure that you’re getting enough complete proteins in per day. Also, even if you are a meat eater, it is recommended to vary your protein sourcing so that you obtain a maximally beneficial range of micronutrients, and to minimize other health risks.

Whether a protein is complete or incomplete depends on how many of the essential amino acids they contain.

Amino acids are essential for every metabolic process, most importantly to serve with optimal transport and storage of all nutrients to the body. Some call them the ‘building blocks’ of protein.

Essential amino acids cannot be made by the human body. As a result, they must come from food. The 9 essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Complete proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids in sufficient quantity. – these are typically animal-based proteins, but there are also some plant-based ones as well! A few examples are (* indicates plant-based):

  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Dairy products (milk, yogurt, whey)
  • Eggs
  • Quinoa*
  • Buckwheat*
  • Hemp and chia seed*
  • Spirulina*
  • Mycoprotein*
  • Soy*

Incomplete proteins do not contain all 9 essential amino acids, or don’t have sufficient quantities of them to meet the body’s needs, and must be supplemented with other proteins. These include:

  • Nuts & seeds
  • Legumes
  • Grains
  • Vegetables

Incomplete proteins are still a valid and important source of protein, and they should be combined to provide the right balance of essential amino acids; this is especially helpful for vegetarians and vegans to eat them in combinations. Proteins that, in combination, make a complete amino acid profile are known as complementary proteins. Here are a few examples:

  • Rice and beans or rice and peas
  • Spinach salad with almonds
  • Hummus and whole-grain pitas
  • Whole-grain noodles with peanut sauce
  • Powdered vegan protein supplements (usually contain a combo of pea/rice/hempseed/soy protein)
  • Alternative pasta (chickpea noodles are an example, and lots of these are a combination of wheat/a legume)

Complementary proteins don’t necessarily need to be eaten together, but since your body doesn’t store amino acids for later use in protein combining, they should be eaten throughout a day’s meals. It’s fairly easy to pair complementary proteins and get a good balance of complete and incomplete proteins in your diet, regardless of your dietary choice/restriction.

Challenges with protein intake

One challenge of a meatless diet is ensuring that one doesn’t consume unwanted excess carbs (or excess fiber) while trying to consume enough plant-based protein; in this case, supplementing your normal food intake with protein powders can be extremely helpful to ensure you’re hitting the right nutrient profile for your needs.

Another pitfall of several protein supplements is that they contain unnecessary and counterintuitive additives. Unless you buy a flavorless protein supplement with no added ingredients, several have added sweeteners and other fillers you may not want.

Protein bars, while okay in a pinch, are normally high calorie, and higher in carbs, fat, and artificial sweeteners, so they should not be used every day to help you hit your protein target. These also tend to be extremely expensive.

Other items that I would categorize as ‘snack food’ are also typically marketed as a protein source, when this is usually not the case; in fact, it is typically used to disguise the other ingredients that companies want consumers to glance over when considering their products. This happens most regularly with ice creams (Halo Top for example), cereals, granola bars, cookies, and even chips. Don’t be fooled- these products should not be used as a staple of your protein intake. While you may feel better about eating them because they may contain *slightly* more protein than the average snack, they are likely not what they seem. For example, ice cream, no matter what brand, will ultimately contain protein, as milk / dairy is also high in protein, so it is slightly absurd for companies to claim that their brand is a ‘protein ice cream’, rather than just like any other ice cream. However, the high sugar content will be counterproductive to this protein intake, so one cannot claim that it is actually ‘healthy’ or a pure protein source. That being said, if you want some ice cream, eat the ice cream – you don’t need to kid yourself into arguing for health properties of a specific food to simply enjoy having it as a snack. I enjoy Special K protein cereal on occasion for breakfast (although this is higher carb and sugar than my average meal) – but I also add protein powder, low fat milk, and chia/flax seeds to shift the macros in my favor, so I can still enjoy a fun cereal breakfast, and get in the macros I want. (I also use this trick, and several others, with my daughter’s meals, although kids don’t need nearly as much protein as adults, simply because they’re smaller humans!)

Most Cost-Effective Clean Protein Powders

There is an abundance of protein brands on the market, each claiming it is better than the last. It can be overwhelming to pick a protein powder supplement that works well for you. The below list contains the protein powders that I have found to be cost-effective, while still providing a clean, legitimate protein source. I typically have a superfood smoothie with a scoop of protein powder in the morning for breakfast. Powder is also easy to take on the go with you, as you can load the powder to a blender bottle, and then just add water and shake it up when you want to drink it.

*Please note that this is not a definitive list, and I am not affiliated with any of these products; I am simply sharing the proteins that I have found work for my goals as well as my wallet.

  1. Trader Joe’s soy protein powder (plain or vanilla flavor, which doesn’t add any sweetness and hardly any flavor, but is still a clean product with minimal intredients). This is by far the most cost-effective protein I’ve found, and a hidden gem when going to this store!
  2. Optimum Nutrition whey is a great source of protein – there are several varieties out there, but the gold standard is a no-frills straight up whey that will get the job done. Generally I like this company’s supplements; they have stood the test of time in the fitness industry.
  3. Now Sports Soy Protein Isolate (I buy this one regularly from Amazon; unflavored and pure protein).
  4. Vega Protein and Greens. This has a nice serving of veggies in it, and the flavors are tasty. Beware of other Vega products, that have lots of additives – but this one is relatively clean and cheap, and if you’re looking for a protein with a bit of flavor you can mix with some water to grab and go, this is typically a good choice.

Train hard. Love harder.

Sara Wilhelm (Little Dragon)