You may have heard that most plant-based foods don’t provide “complete” protein, that is, all the essential amino acids in one serving – like animal foods do. While quinoa and soybean foods do supply all the amino acids, chickpeas and other legumes do not.
So what can you combine with chickpeas to make a complete protein? You can add sesame seeds or tahini and make hummus. Beans, lentils and chickpeas have essential amino acids that brown rice lacks. By simply combining rice and beans will give you a meal with complete proteins. You can also toss chickpeas with whole grains like farro or barley, or add chickpeas to salads for a plant-based protein surge. Chickpeas also work well in soups, like Minestrone. As a matter of fact, food combining isn’t even necessary as once thought for vegan diets. Most vegetables contain protein. Animals eat plants and that’s how they get their protein.
So eat up and stop worrying about protein. There are so many delicious protein rich recipes you can make with chickpeas and other beans. So Enjoy!