POWERFUL PROTEIN
What is Protein?
• Protein is an essential nutrient.
• Its name comes from the Greek word
“protos” which means “first”
• Our bodies are about 20% protein.
Picture a chain of sausage links…
This is kind of like a molecule of protein.
Amino Acids
• Amino Acids are the building blocks of
protein.
• Amino acids come in a long chain (like the
sausages!)
• The links in the chain are called Amino
Acids.
Which of these contain protein?
•
•
•
•
•
Hair
Nails
Outer layers of skin
Muscle tissue
Bone (the rubbery
inner structure)
• Bone marrow
• Red Blood Cells
If you said, “all of them”…
You are a
How does my body use protein?
• To build new cells
• Maintain tissues
• Make enzymes that
do specific jobs such
as digest foods.
• Create neurotransmitters.
What happens to the Protein I Eat?
Your digestive tract can
absorb only single
amino acids or very
small chains of amino
acids called peptides.
Proteins in foods are
broken into their
component amino
acids by digestive
enzymes.
What is that called?
Protein synthesis, of course!
This is when other enzymes in your body
build new proteins by reassembling the
amino acids into specific compounds your
body needs.
What happens if I don’t get enough
Protein?
I think he’s getting
enough protein!
You start digesting the
proteins in your body,
including the proteins
in your muscles – and
in extreme cases –
your heart muscle.
Not All Proteins are Created Equal
While all proteins are made of building
blocks called amino acids, not all proteins
contain all the amino acids you require.
Essential vs. Nonessential
• You require 22 different amino acids.
• About half of them are considered
“essential” (meaning you cannot make
them in your body and you must get them
from food).
• About half are “nonessential” (meaning
your body can manufacture them).
High-quality vs. Low-quality
Proteins
Proteins from foods of animal origin
That means meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and
dairy products, are considered
HIGH QUALITY PROTEINS
These have similar combinations of
amino acids as we do so they are
easier for us to absorb.
Complete vs. Incomplete Protein
• Another way to describe the quality of
protein is to say it is complete or
incomplete.
• A complete protein has ample amounts of
all essential amino acids.
• An incomplete protein does not.
The Perfect Couple
• When you combine certain kinds of food
you can turn an incomplete protein into a
complete protein.
• We call this “Complementary Protein”
Can you think of some
examples?
How about…
Rice and Beans
When eaten together in one meal, the amino
acids in the rice and beans complement
each other to make a complete protein.
And also…
Pasta with Cheese
Cheese Sandwich
Or would you prefer…
Yogurt and nuts
Pancakes (wheat and
milk/egg batter)
Does learning about Protein
Make you hungry?
Don’t eat me!
Me Neither!