Animal proteins are complete and digest cleanly. Plant proteins need pairing or volume to do the same job.
Proteins are graded on two things: the completeness of their amino acid profile, and how well your body can digest and use them. Animal sources, eggs, dairy, fish, meat, score near the top on both. Most plant proteins score lower because they are missing or short on one or two essential amino acids, particularly leucine.
This does not mean plant-based diets fail. Soy, in isolation, is a complete protein. So is quinoa. For other sources, traditional pairings, rice with lentils, beans with corn, close the gap by combining complementary profiles in a single meal.
The practical rule for plant-based eaters is to consume slightly more total protein, and to hit a leucine threshold of roughly two and a half to three grams per meal. A well-designed plant-based diet builds muscle just fine. A lazy one falls short, exactly the same as a lazy omnivorous diet.
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