Quinoa - Complete Protein?

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Created on 01, June, 2012

An article in a major news magazine states that quinoa is the only vegetable that is a complete protein. 

Someone has been drinking too much of the quinoa marketing Kool-Aid (and not doing their journalistic research). Most, if not all, plant foods contain all the essential amino acids, but not always in large quantities (e.g., you could get your RDA for protein from bananas, but it would take 37 bananas). And soybeans are considered to have a higher “quality” of protein than quinoa – it takes fewer servings to get your RDA for all the essential amino acids (approx. 4 servings vs. 6 for quinoa). Legumes in general have more protein (on a per-serving basis) than grains and seeds (quinoa is a seed), although quinoa is up there with some legumes... and is a good source of iron and fiber.