how do you measure protein?

This may be a stupid question, but how do you measure protein?   I have just been taking the grams from the nutrition label on anything I eat.   But, on another website, I read where the proteins should be complete.    For example, if I have peanut butter or egg noodles, I just note the protein on the label.   How do others do this?   Do you worry about pairing proteins?  Or, do you just count the protein on the label?

Thanks!!

I gave up trying to count protein in foods and only count my protein shakes. You can Google protein bio value or bioavailability. Whey protein isolate is top of the list for bio value so I just keep track of those. 

--gina

Just count the grams and don't worry about complete VS not complete.  Chances are you also pick up whatever is needed to complete the protein in your daily adventures in eating anyway.

Is there a limit on the number of shakes a person has in a day or protein bars. My goal is 2 shakes and 1 bar

I go by my labs and it seems 120 grams or 4 - 30 gram shakes is my sweet spot. When I lowered it to 3 - 30 gram shakes my albumin and preabumin dropped and it was enough for my dietitian to tell me to go back to 120 grams in shakes a day.

--gina

The only proteins I don't count are the ones that say are included in some non-animal based products.  For example - I made a quesadilla with tortillas and the package said that each tortilla had 4 grams of protein.  That's BS.  Don't count it.

I don't eat stuff like rice & beans where you needs the aminos in the rice to make the protein in the beans a complete protein.

As for protein powders and the like, you need to look at the source of the protein.  Not all protein is equally as digestible or bioavailable.  That's why they use the PDCAAS scale.  But it's hard to find the PDCAAS numbers - the manufacturers are loathe to give them out, especially if they're not using the highest quality protein.  Stay away from collagen, stay away from protein concentrate.  Stick to isolates and hydrolized protein.

The protein in tortillas are just incomplete vegetable proteins.  Why is it BS and why not count it.  In general with a good diet you will be eating the amino acids required elsewhere to complete these proteins.  I think?  Let me know what I am missing.  A small serving a beans with tortillas completes the protein, for example.

In order to piece together the right aminos in order to make up the complete protein, I'd think you need to know quite a bit about what you're eating, and make sure that you're always making those pairings.  For me it would just be easier to not include those partial ones and make sure I'm getting a full count of complete proteins, and then anything that I can piece together is a bonus.  Besides, other than soybeans, most other beans like kidney beans, black beans, lentils are kind of low on the list of bioavailable protein.  You're eating a lot more bulk and getting less bang out of it.  

I'd heard about protein combining, but according to wikipedia that theory is outdated http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_combining

Just when I think I'm getting a handle on my nutrition, another question comes up!!  One of us needs to get a specialized degree so that we can start a DS-specific nutrition center!