You might be able to find the book on the subject around in a used book store. And it includes plenty of recipes for the recipe dependent. In general the theory is the human body breaks down foods into amino acids and then puts them back together into human proteins. It does that even with animal proteins.

But after making all the proteins it can from the available amino acids it discards the rest. Meats have their own mix of amino acids in their proteins which differs from the human mix. The body can make no more human proteins than the least available amino acid.

Non-meat foods have proteins but are so greatly different from human needs in their amino acid composition that they are very poor sources for humans. The insight is that different non-meat sources have different ratios of amino acids and if the foods are mixed correctly they can be better protein sources than beef.

And a side benefit, most people will feel full eating less food if they are mixed correctly. Attention dieters, weight watchers and anyone with eating problems.

There are four groups, grains, legumes, dairy, nuts. In grains we have wheat, rice, barley which includes bread. Legumes include beans and peanuts. Dairy includes milk, butter, sour cream and cheese. Nuts, excluding peanuts which are not nuts, are not that common a staple in American diets.

What this means is that if you serve something from both groups in the same meal or dish you get the makings of better protein than from beef. And maybe for you as a side benefit you will actually eat less.

There is a simple and easy way to test that latter. Go to a local and cheap Mexican fast food place like Taco Bell. One day eat tacos only until you feel full. The next day get small side dishes of refried beans and rice, eat those first and then tacos until you feel full. Most people will eat less food with the beans and rice meal. And if you are on a budget, compare the total cost of each meal.

But look at the folk wisdom in this idea, grain and legumes is a peanut butter sandwich. Grain and dairy is bread and butter, cheese and crackers. Even the Mexican tradition of both rice and beans as side dishes. Beans and dairy is cheese topping your refried beans. That is the good news not just for weight watchers, they seem to taste better when mixed.

They do not have to be mixed in the same dish just dishes with both in the same meal as they have to be digested at the same time. But in the same dish there are ways to add the other without being intrusive and the mix will generally taste better.

With corn, add butter. Yes butter is fattening and so is corn, today's high sugar corns certainly. If you are not a weight watcher you don't care. If you are a weight watcher and you passed the taco test above, you will likely consume fewer total calories with it buttered than not and it will taste better. There is no need to suffer while keeping a healthy weight.

For the recipe dependent, search your collection for those that appear to include these mixes for no obvious reason. For example, milk powder is included in many breads for no apparent reason but they do taste better. Try adding that to all breads, muffins, pizza doughs, pancake mix, you make from scratch.

Many people and most of them children don't like kidney beans so try adding cheese. There are several classical southern dishes that mix rice and beans. There are several mixes on the market including Uncle Ben's.

In the larger view of a meal cashew chicken is a surprising taste treat for those unfamiliar with oriental cooking. And the cashews (nuts) from the chicken will mix with rice as a side dish for whole protein. It may not look like many cashews compared to the rice but the comparison is to the uncooked rice. And variety there, peanuts instead of cashews are legumes and rice.

There is an amazing tasteless and cheap product called soya powder made from soy beans, legumes. That means it can mix with many things without appreciably altering the taste and be the legume in the mix. Soya and milk powder in breads (grains) can do wonders for the whole protein content.

All of this may sound magical that it just happens to apply to humans but no it applies to all omnivours. As the name implies an omnivour eats about anything that doesn't eat it first. This method is just mixing dishes to increase their nutritional value and any other side benefits that might accrue.

Other than the principle there is nothing particluarly scientific this. There is no "equal dry weights of beans and rice" or anything approaching it. Don't expect to become healthier or slimmer or save on your grocery bill overnight or ever. Just give it a try and see what happens.