- Processed foods packed with high protein are becoming more popular.
- One study’s findings suggest that processed foods with protein claims may not be the healthiest option and may contain high fat, sodium, and sugar levels.
- People can choose healthier protein options with appropriate professional guidance.
People need to consume enough protein in their diets to maintain proper body function. Common protein sources include nuts, meat, and eggs. There is also the option for manufacturers to add protein to foods.
A study recently published in Nutrients explored the nutritional value of certain processed foods with protein claims. Recently, the general public has increased its consumption of food products that have protein claims.
The study found that these foods may be less healthy. Over half of the products with high protein claims had high sodium or fat content, and about a quarter had high amounts of free sugar or saturated fat.
Thus, these food options might not be the wisest food choices despite high protein claims.
The researchers who conducted the current study wanted to learn more about the nutritional value of products that have protein claims.
Consumers can choose from many food options but may be more inclined to select products with protein claims. When a product has a protein claim, people may be more likely to view it as having health benefits. The problem arises when people ignore the other nutrients that products contain.
Researchers looked at 4,325 processed foods in a Spanish food database called BADALI. To be included in this database, the food has to be available in any Spanish supermarket and has to have a nutrition declaration.
Researchers gathered data from June 2022 to March 2024. They divided items into 12 food types, including foods like bars, breakfast cereals, crackers, milk substitutes, and plant-based meat analogues.
A product was considered to have a protein claim if the word “protein” was part of the main image on the manufacturer’s or supermarket’s website. For example, some products contained the phrase “rich in protein,” and others listed the amount of protein in the product.
Researchers found that 13% of the examined products, or 561 items, had protein claims. The food type most likely to have these claims was plant-based meat analogues, with almost 70% of these products making this claim.
About 60% of products with protein claims had protein added to them. Plant proteins were added more often than animal proteins. The analysis suggested that protein fortification can make a major difference in protein content.
When researchers looked at nutrient composition, they found changes in sugar, carbohydrate, total fat, and saturated fat content. However, they did not observe important sodium, energy, or fiber differences.
For example, they found that bars that had protein claims had fewer carbohydrates and sugar content but more saturated fat.
Milk substitutes with protein claims had lower carbohydrates and sugar but more total fat. Milk and dairy drinks with protein claims had less total and saturated fat, and yogurts and fermented milk products with protein claims had less carbohydrates and sugar.
Next, researchers looked at nutritional quality. They used the nutrient profile model to classify foods as healthy or less healthy.
The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) — Regional Office in the Americas established the model. It looks at components like sodium, fat, and free sugars.
They found that 90.8% of foods that had protein claims received a “less healthy” classification. About one-fifth of these products had sweeteners, about one-quarter had high free sugar or saturated fat, and over 50% had high fat or sodium content.
When comparing foods with protein claims to those without, only 77.7% of the non-protein claim products received a “less healthy” classification.
A greater percentage of protein claim foods had high fat or sodium and sweeteners. However, a lower proportion of protein claim foods had high free sugar and saturated fat.
There were also differences when it came to looking at the individual food types. For example, researchers found that milk and dairy drinks that had protein claims were classified as less healthy over 61% of the time, while non-protein claim milk and dairy drinks were only classified as less healthy about 22% of the time.
While yogurts and fermented milk items with protein claims were more likely to have high sodium, they were less likely to be high in fat, free sugar, and saturated fat than non-protein claim yogurt and fermented milk items.
The research cautions against the assumption that foods with protein claims are always Healthy. Chelsea Johnson, MS, RD, LD a registered dietician with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston, who was not involved in this study, commented to Medical News Today that:
“Potential clinical implications would be ensuring proper education regarding nutrition choices, [and people] choosing to carefully evaluate foods based on the whole nutrition label/facts instead of just relying on the package claims. In addition, more strict labeling laws for food products should be considered to minimize misleading advertisements on food.”
This study does have some limitations. First, it focused on data from the Spanish market only. Looking at data from other areas could be helpful in the future.
Second, researchers included a specific definition for protein fortification. This, along with the criteria for nutrient composition analysis and the exclusion of items with unreadable images, could have led to missed data.
Choices for statistical analysis also could have affected the results. Additionally, researchers were unable to look at information about trans fat in products.
The study authors acknowledge a risk of overestimation or underestimation of the fortification rate. Additionally, they note there are other limitations that previous research has noted. These limitations may be related to using the BADALI database.
Moreover, the results do not necessarily imply that the other foods the researchers examined are the best food choices either.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Karen Z. Berg, MS, RD, CSO, CDN, who was not involved in the study, noted that:
“We already know that processed foods aren’t good for you and should be limited in your diet […] It has long been known that processed foods are not good for your overall health, so people should not be mistaken by labels that tout added protein and think that makes it a healthy food. It’s just not the case. Whenever sugar is taken away or something that could be gritty (like protein) is added, there have to be more preservatives put in to make a food have the right consistency and palatability. This study is simply reminding us of that fact.”
The study emphasizes that certain protein sources are not the most nutritious options. However, it does not negate how important protein is in the diet.
Berg emphasized that “protein is an important part of our diets to help build and repair muscles.”
Speaking of the findings of the current study, she said that: “People should not walk away from this study and think that foods that have protein are unhealthy. That just isn’t true.”
However, she advised: “[Y]ou want to look for whole foods as much as possible. Instead of a sugary granola bar with added protein, have a trail mix of different nuts that don’t have any added sugar or salt. Instead of meat substitutes that have added protein, have tofu or egg whites if you are a vegetarian, or opt for lean chicken or beef if you are a carnivore.”
Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of being informed about food choices rather than making quick assumptions based on protein claims.
Jonathan Jennings, MS, MD, a board-certified internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan, who was also not involved in the study, told MNT: “I agree with the researchers that most people trust the labelling and have no time to research further.”
“For those people who have time to research they may lack the technical expertise to accurately interpret the labeling […] The results of the study remind us that we must be strategic in our choices to avoid unintended health consequences,” he cautioned.
People can work with nutrition specialists and doctors to make wise choices about protein consumption.
