You don’t have to look very far in the grocery store to see a “protein-enhanced” product sitting around. Protein cookies, crackers, and even sodas abound. You might have even seen some new “high protein” marketing labels popping up on existing items (like your favorite Greek yogurt tubs).
There are numerous commercials these days for junk food marketed as “high protein.” And with so many companies hopping on the bandwagon, it’s hard to know what’s sincere versus a marketing ploy. How many companies are simply refreshing their labels to draw in consumers who want to be more protein-conscious, but aren’t sure where to start?
If you’re feeling lost in all the noise, I want you to know you’re not alone. Almost 15 years ago, I was in a very similar boat nutrition-wise.
The way to cut through the marketing noise is to realize that just because something has protein in it does not make it good for your health. If you’re really serious about your metabolic health, there are a wealth of other protein sources that are much better (and much cheaper) for your body.
Let’s take a closer look.
Article summary
- Despite the high-protein label, most “enhanced” protein products contain added sugars, seed oils, and refined grains that undermine your metabolic health.
- Many protein junk foods fall short of animal sources in both completeness and bioavailability, compared to a 97.5% true digestibility rate for animal meat.
- The simplest and most cost-effective protein sources are whole, real foods like red meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy.
What’s the problem with processed protein “food?”
There’s a reason why I call processed foods “near-food objects” — because by and large, they fail the test for what whole, real, nutritionally dense food should be.
This is true for three reasons:
1. Processed food contains many added ingredients, not just protein
Look at the protein products in the snack section of the grocery store, and see if you can spot a pattern.
You’re likely getting plenty of:
- Added sugars, both real and fake. There’s a reason why sugar is as hard to quit as alcohol (and for some, maybe harder). We also know that high sugar consumption is directly associated with chronic disease, heart attacks, and many other illnesses.
- Seed oils. Many studies link seed and vegetable oils to chronic diseases and autoimmune disorders. And yet, it’s present in the vast majority of foods you’ll find at the grocery store — including protein junk food. You might want to do more research on the omega 6 vs omega 3 oxidation process.
- Refined grains. These carbohydrates act like sugar in the blood, which can spike your blood sugar and raise your risk for diabetes.
- Fake fats such as EPG. I’ll let you explore this rabbit hole for yourself here.
Think of it this way: a “protein-enhanced” cookie is still a cookie, and the added ingredients and preservatives will not outweigh the benefits of a little extra protein. In a worst-case scenario, it won’t satiate you at all. It’s the ugly truth that keeps you hungry and prevents you from fixing your metabolic health.
2. Not all protein is bioavailable
In the same way that a calorie’s not just a calorie, a gram of protein looks very different depending on the source.
That’s because different kinds of foods are more bioavailable to the human body. This means they are more, or less, able to be utilized by the body compared to others. So while there’s technically more protein in a cup of chickpeas than 100 grams of steak, beans are:
- Missing key amino acids. They’re missing micronutrients such as tryptophan, valine, and threonine, all of which can be found in steak.
- Not fully absorbable. The amount of protein that your body appears to absorb (apparent digestibility) is very different from what it actually uses after accounting for what your gut itself consumes (true digestibility). Up to 40% of the protein you eat from beans, for example, never gets used by the body. The true digestibility of animal meat proteins, on the other hand, is around 97.5%.
Now consider processed “protein foods” like cereals or cookies. Yes, they offer more protein than their traditional counterparts, but are they as bioavailable as steak and eggs?
And even then, most protein junk food doesn’t offer that much protein to begin with. Consider the 100 gram steak with 25 grams of protein (and in reality, a steak is delivering more protein than this because a typical serving is higher than 100 grams). A 100 gram serving of protein potato chips will give you 7 grams of protein — not to mention all the junk that comes with it. And that doesn’t even factor in apparent versus true digestibility.
So, is that $10 bag worth it for the “protein” you get?
Science would argue no.
3. Protein junk food doesn’t reinforce better lifestyle habits
The ultra-processed health foods lurking in your pantry do very little to improve metabolic health on their own. It’s not hard to see what makes them so appealing though: they promise the benefits of whole, real food without requiring any of the behavioral changes required to eat it.
But as we’ve already covered, they come with added (unhealthy) ingredients. And more often than not, they’re not very bioavailable. They’re convenient, yes, but capable of hijacking your mind and body.
It’s a bandaid at best, and at worst, a distraction from making better lifestyle changes.
Or, to be more blunt: swapping one processed product for another will not change the habits that created the problem in the first place.
Choosing good-quality protein sources for your metabolic health
Protein-enhanced junk food is now readily available in any grocery store. The choice to add it to your pantry is up to you.
Picking a quality protein source is much easier (and healthier) than the processed junk options. No need to purchase costly protein powders or sift through ingredients labels. I want you to be thinking about high-quality, competitively-priced protein sources that you can easily prepare and cook at home.
This includes:
- Red meat: Ruminant meat is one of the most complete and bioavailable protein sources available. A single serving of beef, for example, provides all nine essential amino acids, along with highly absorbable forms of iron, zinc, B12, and creatine.
- Seafood: Many forms of seafood, especially salmon and shrimp, offer an incredibly high amount of protein from a whole, real source. From a calories standpoint, most seafood is very light as well. And if you’re particularly curious about the benefits of a high-seafood diet, you may want to check out Dr. Nick Norowitz’s journey with the anchovy diet.
- Eggs: Arguably the most nutrient-dense protein source per dollar you’ll find anywhere. They contain all nine essential amino acids, plus choline for brain health, lutein for eye health, and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. These are heavily concentrated in the yolk that decades of bad science told you to throw away.
- Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter provides a complete protein alongside calcium, vitamin K2, and conjugated linoleic acid, which offers anti-inflammatory properties. Learn more about the plant milk versus animal milk debate.
Learn more about the best proteins to eat for your metabolic health here, or get a copy of my new book Stay Off My Kitchen Table to go deeper into how the bioavailability of foods affects our health, and my 4-week plan to help you combat inflammation, bloating, fatigue, and more.