Stroll down any grocery store aisle and you will see a variety of products boasting extra protein. But do you really need all the added protein now marketed at supermarkets, restaurants and even coffee shops?
Both Starbucks and Dunkin’ offer protein add-ins for certain drinks. Fast-casual restaurants are promoting it too. Chipotle recently introduced ‘High Protein Menu,’ including a bowl with 81 grams of protein. Subway is selling a low-cost “Protein Pocket” wrap with deli meat.
At the grocery store, shelves are filled with protein pastas, cereals, chips, pancakes, waffles and even Protein Pop-Tarts, which were introduced last fall.
Shari Wohl, a nutritionist who teaches classes at American University, said most people do not need the extra amino acids.
“Most Americans are meeting their dietary requirements for protein,” she said. “Protein deficiency in the U.S. is very, very rare.”
Wohl noted that getting protein in processed foods often means taking in additives that do not promote health.
“So in those Pop-Tarts, you’re getting some protein, but you’re getting a lot of added sugar. You’re getting an enriched white flour,” she told WTOP. “If that’s a treat, fine, but it’s basically a cookie with some extra protein in it.”
Protein is essential. It is one of the three energy-yielding macronutrients along with fats and carbohydrates. It also plays many roles that go beyond energy.
“All of our hormones are proteins, enzymes are proteins,” Wohl said. “Whereas carbohydrates are basically just energy producing, we need proteins so that we can do all of the important chemical reactions that our bodies need to survive.”
Wohl said the recent wave of high-protein labeling is driven more by marketing than science.
“So often in nutrition science we get these little buzz words happening, and then all of a sudden it gets filtered down, and it kind of blows up and goes crazy.”
Like other macronutrients, eating protein in excess of your body’s energy needs leads to storing those calories as fat. And for people with kidney issues, higher protein intake can cause additional complications.
The recommended daily protein intake is 10% to 35% of your total calories. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, that is 50-175 grams per day, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Wohl suggested getting protein from lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish, and from plant-based sources such as legumes.
While most Americans get plenty of protein, Wohl said many are missing out on another key nutrient.
“Where we are falling short in our dietary recommendations is fiber, and this is so important,” Wohl said. “Great sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains.”
Foods such as beans and spinach offer both protein and fiber.