Maybe you've heard the term "complete protein." It derives from the idea that there are 20 different amino acids that can form a protein, and the human body can't produce nine of them on its own. In order to be considered "complete," a protein must contain all nine of these essential amino acids in equal amounts.

The thing is, we don't need the complete amino-acid profile in every meal. We need only a sufficient amount of each amino acid daily. Dietitians confirm that plant-based foods contain a wide variety of profiles, and vegans are pretty much guaranteed to get their daily dose without even trying.