Missing Guests at Your Party? Meet the Essential Nine 🍳

Let’s talk about the unsung heroes of your health: essential amino acids—aka the cool kids your body can’t make on its own but desperately needs. Think of them as the VIPs of the protein world, and your body is throwing a daily party in their honor. The catch? They only show up if they’re on the guest list… and that guest list is your plate.

So, What Are Essential Amino Acids?

There are 20 amino acids in total, and 9 of them are considered essential. Why? Because your body can’t make them on its own.

These 9 MVPs are:

• Histidine

• Isoleucine

• Leucine

• Lysine

• Methionine

• Phenylalanine

• Threonine

• Tryptophan

• Valine

Together, they help build muscle, repair tissues, support your immune system, produce hormones, and keep your body functioning like the finely tuned machine it is. Or at least wants to be….

The Catch? Not All Foods Have All 9

Cue the suspense music.

While many foods contain some amino acids, only certain ones have all 9 essential amino acids in the right amounts. These are called complete proteins—the A-listers of nutrition.

Here’s where things get juicy…

The Complete Crew: Foods That Bring the Full Squad

If essential amino acids are the Avengers, these foods are the portals that bring them to the battlefield:

• Animal-based foods:

  Chicken

  Beef

  Eggs

  Fish

  Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)

• Plant-based complete proteins (yes, they exist!)

  Quinoa

  Soy (edamame, tofu, tempeh)

  Buckwheat

  Chia seeds

  Hemp seeds

  They’re like that one friend who’s vegan, gluten-free, but still somehow brings the best dish to the potluck.

What If You’re Not Eating Complete Proteins?

No stress—your body’s smarter than it gets credit for. You can combine incomplete proteins (those that don’t contain all 9) to create a complete profile. This is called protein complementing, and it’s not as complicated as it sounds.

Classic combos that get the job done:

• Rice + beans

• Peanut butter + whole grain bread

• Lentils + barley

You don’t even have to eat them in the same meal—just the same day. (Phew.)

Bottom Line: Feed the Party or Miss the Gains

If you want to support your muscles, mood, metabolism, and more, make sure those 9 essential amino acids are getting an invite to your plate regularly. Whether it’s through chicken and eggs, quinoa and tofu, or your favorite peanut butter sandwich, keep those VIPs coming.

Because in the world of wellness, it’s not just what you eat—it’s who shows up.