A healthy diet for bodybuilders and athletes should be rich in proteins and should include protein shakes for an increase in the daily protein intake. Proteins are so important because they contain a high amount of the vital amino acids that ensure our body’s well-being.

About Essential Amino Acids
Proteins can be complete or partial. Partial proteins provide our body with the necessary materials in order to make a part of the amino acids it needs. There are eight types of amino acids that we need in our meals. They are known as the crucial amino acids.

A balanced diet provides enough proteins for most people. However, protein shake recipes include such proteins as whey, soy or casein and are recommended for bodybuilders to build and maintain muscle tissue.
Protein bars are also a great addition to boost your daily intake. They are useful before and after workouts or as a snack between meals.

Complementary Proteins
It is true that meat, dairy products and eggs are the richest food groups in complete proteins. However, there are also plant protein sources that can give us an alternative to meat. Soybeans, for instance, have a great amino acid balance and can even be a meat substitute.

Some plant sources have a low amount of certain amino acids and are rich in others while other plants have a totally opposed composition. In order to get all the essential amino acids from plants, you should properly combine them during meals in order to create a better protein source. These are called complementary proteins.

The plants rich in complementary proteins can be divided into three categories:
• Seeds and nuts like flax, sunflower, sesame
• Legumes such as lentils, alfalfa, peas, peanuts
• Whole grains like rice, oats, wheat

If you are interested in switching to complementary proteins, you should also enjoy protein shakes in order to ensure that you receive the recommended daily protein intake and build more muscle mass.