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However, since the old saying goes "there is nothing new under the sun", I would not be at all surprised if the now-repudiated practice of 'protein combining' predated Lappe's hypothesis - especially since she based her theory on traditional diets such as corn tortillas or rice with beans in Latin America, rice or wheat chapatis with lentils in India; soy products with rice, wheat, or barley in Asian countries and so on...
Good analysis, Mrs. Jim. And so true about the traditional foods: tortillas and beans, rice or wheat with lentils, etc. ... and our taste buds seemed to have evolved from the dawn of time wanting these combos in places where meat was not the major food source, IMO.Originally Posted by MrsJim
From all the sources I've read, the hypothesis of "protein complimentarity" (mixing foods to create a complete protein) was brought forward by Frances Moore Lappe in the late 1960's; in 1981, she recanted that theory after doing actual research on the subject. (see pages 178-183 of Diet for a New America by John Robbins; also Wikipedia, "Combining Proteins", "Complete Protein Myth", among other sources).However, since the old saying goes "there is nothing new under the sun", I would not be at all surprised if the now-repudiated practice of 'protein combining' predated Lappe's hypothesis - especially since she based her theory on traditional diets such as corn tortillas or rice with beans in Latin America, rice or wheat chapatis with lentils in India; soy products with rice, wheat, or barley in Asian countries and so on...
On that note, I will go eat my steak!
