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Food is made up of three macronutrients – carbohydrates, fat and protein – plus micronutrients which can be broadly broken into vitamins and minerals. Proteins are molecules made up of different combinations of amino acids and are essential to build and repair our body...
They make up the structures of most of our tissue and are involved in many bodily processes.
Protein can also be used as an energy source if other sources are not readily available. There are 20 amino acids in total and nine of these are considered essential amino acids. An essential amino acid is one that our body cannot make and needs to be gained from the foods that we eat. Soy products, such as tofu, tempeh and edamame, are an example of a complete protein and one of the few plant-based foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. Most other plant-based sources of protein, such as legumes and nuts, contain some but not all the essential amino acids.