The newest craze in fitness is all things protein: Crackers, cereal, and even popcorn. Beyond these strange protein snacks, protein powder purchases are at an all-time high, accounting for half of all protein product sales. It’s one of the most popular dietary supplements in the U.S., generating $9 billion in 2023. Protein snacks & powders are everywhere, but are they actually good for you?
Protein Products on the Rise: From Popcorn to Powders
As strength training, longevity, women’s health, and body recomposition are more popular than ever, protein has stepped into the spotlight. People know at a basic level that protein supports muscle growth, and they see their favorite hot-bod influencers sharing how they maximize their daily protein intake. Not to mention, we are a culture of convenience: always trying to get the best of both worlds. If you are craving some popcorn, why not eat protein popcorn? Want some sugar? Why not eat a paleo brownie that also has 10 grams of protein? All of which are conveniently sold at your local grocery store.
Protein itself is much more than a fad, however. It’s a macronutrient we need in order to grow and maintain tissue, including muscles, and we can only get protein through our diet. For optimal health, especially if you’re an active person in any sort of capacity, 0.8-1 grams of protein per lb of body weight per day is advised.
Khloé Kardashian’s Protein Popcorn Craze
Khloé Kardashian’s Protein Popcorn is made with coconut and olive oil, which are healthier oils than most companies choose. However, there is something Kardashian popcorn has in common with other protein snacks: they advertise high protein content without actually delivering it. Khloe’s popcorn has 7g of protein for a 150 calorie serving, which equates to 1 gram of protein for every 20 calories. Compare that to 3 grams of protein for every 10 calories of chicken breast. So while Khloe’s popcorn has more protein than regular popcorn, it’s not actually a good source of protein. You would need to eat roughly 650 calories worth of Khloe’s popcorn to get the same amount of protein that 100 calories worth of chicken provides.
Are Protein Snacks More Hype Than Health?
Protein is absolutely worth the hype, but protein snacks leave something to be desired. Protein snacks usually have processed and very poor quality protein. Refined protein isolates found in these products have been stripped of naturally occurring nutrients. They can also be incomplete in amino acids or less bioavailable, meaning your body doesn’t absorb or use them as efficiently as protein from whole food sources.
Protein snacks are no strangers to additives in the form of artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, gums, seed oils, flavoring agents, and preservatives. Frequent exposure can negatively affect gut health, digestion, and increase inflammation, especially for people who are sensitive or already dealing with stress, hormonal shifts, or GI issues.
Whole protein sources are packed with vitamins, minerals, fats, and micronutrients that support muscle function, hormone production, and recovery. A protein bar may have 20 grams of protein, but doesn’t come close to containing the same nutrient content as eggs, fish, yogurt, legumes, or well-sourced meat.
These products are also designed to be highly palatable and addictive, just like any other processed food. This is a double edged sword. If you’re eating a protein bar over a candy bar to satiate the same craving, that is a healthier choice. If you’re eating a lot of protein bars all the time because they are highly palatable, and you notice that you’re eating less whole food sources of protein because of it, that’s something to take note of.
What’s Really in Protein Powders?
Protein powder is great if you need a quick way to get some protein grams in. They’re an easy addition to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal. However, a lot of protein powders contain heavy metals and additives. Just make sure you’re getting a decent quality powder. A recent Consumer Reports article is a great resource for lead testing. The Clean Label Project is a great source for heavy metal research for almost every protein powder on the market. The Clean Label Project also has product recommendations based on their analysis of different products and brands.
Additives You Should Watch Out For
Additives in protein powders aren’t inherently bad in themselves, but can be bad when ingested on a frequent basis and over a long period of time with certain constitutions. Each individual can be affected differently or not at all. The first additives on the list are sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, and maltitol. These aren’t fully absorbed in the gut, which can lead to gas, bloating, or diarrhea, especially when combined with high protein intake. Sweeteners like sugar, stevia, and monk fruit are much easier for the body to digest, because they are derived from plants.
Gums and thickeners like xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and cellulose gum used to improve texture can irritate the gut lining or worsen IBS or sensitive digestion. Seed oils and emulsifiers like soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin, can cause inflammation for some people.
Heavy Metals in Vegan Protein Powders
Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury are naturally present in soil and water. Plants absorb them as they grow, and animals ingest them through feed and the environment. When plants or animal products are turned into protein powder, the processing concentrates everything. This includes any heavy metals already present.
Vegan powders ubiquitously have higher concentrations of heavy metals because the plants used to make these powders naturally uptake them from the soil they are grown in. Rice, peas, and hemp take in the largest amount of heavy metals, and powders with those protein products have higher heavy metal content.
Animal and dairy protein powders also contain heavy metals. However, whey protein powders consistently test better for heavy metals than any vegan protein powder. Some whey powders are even free of lead or have very minimal amounts of it.
What Does “High Protein” Really Mean?
Companies will often label and advertise their products as “high protein” when, in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Protein snacks source their protein from non-quality sources, and there is usually 6–8 g per serving. You would need to eat 4–5 servings to get a solid dose of protein, which means you need to eat 400–600 calories in the snack alone. Not saying you want to count calories, but eating a piece of chicken or salmon would give you more grams of protein with great nutrient value for far fewer calories.
Decoding Nutrition Facts for Real Protein Content
Looking at the label of a protein snack will give you all the information you need to assess how great of an option it is. A good rule of thumb is that the protein makes up 20% of the calorie content. If a protein bar has 190-200 calories and there is 20-25 g of protein in the bar – that’s a good choice IF you need to eat a protein bar. A lot of them are candy bars with some protein, AKA more expensive candy bars. Remember, food quality matters too.
How Food Companies Use the Label
Companies can put whatever they want on their packaging. They are trying to sell their product. As a wise consumer, you’ll know what high protein truly is: at least 15-20g or 20% of the calories PER SERVING of whatever you’re eating. It also doesn’t hurt to look at the other ingredients in the product. Since protein snacks and other products are processed foods, there aren’t actually that many that are actually healthy.
Smarter Choices for Protein Snacks & Powders
Protein snacks and powders are convenient and engineered to taste like desert, or a food we all crave. It’s understandable if you want to eat them regularly or have them available in a pinch.
But, the truth is, there are smarter protein choices. Which is just to eat whole, natural foods and eat complete meals throughout the day. If you’re having trouble eating enough protein, try to prioritize eating at least 30g in every meal you eat. You’ll be surprised at how satisfied and great you feel all day, and how much your cravings for snacks actually decreases. If you currently consider yourself a snacker, experiment with eating 3 meals a day with 30 grams of protein (at least) for one week straight. You might be pleasantly surprised.
If you need snacks and more convenient foods throughout the day, beef jerky is a great option for a high protein snack. Other snack options include greek yogurt, cottage cheese, different snackable meats, hard boiled eggs, and cheese sticks.
Want to learn more about protein snacks and powders? Listen to episode 254 of the Stronger Than Your Boyfriend Podcast: The Truth About Protein Snacks and Powders
