The protein imperative
Store shelves are stocked with all kinds of foods that have always had protein but are now advertised as high-protein and foods that have traditionally had none — think vodka and candy — that are now protein-infused. Sage60 consulted the experts on the hype.
With protein claims appearing on more food products, knowing what to look for on nutrition labels can help us make informed choices.
Protein: It’s been called the world’s most profitable nutrient, so why wouldn’t food purveyors try to capitalize on it? It seemed the protein bandwagon might have gone too far when producers started marketing protein coffee and protein vodka. And it wasn’t just our imagination: BBC Science Focus reported earlier this month that over the previous decade, food producers had quadrupled the number of high-protein products available worldwide. Coffee and vodka aren’t the only unusual protein-added products. There’s now added protein in pasta, bread, snack bars, breakfast cereal, plant-based milks and — wait for it — candy.
“There is a role [for protein-enhanced foods], but protein popcorn and protein vodka and protein water? Protein candy? Just give it a rest,” says Andrea Falcone, a registered dietitian based in Mississauga, Ont. “That’s where the demonization comes in. Like, I’m not allowed to have candy, but if I have this protein candy, it makes it OK.”
As an article in the New York Times noted: “A donut with 10 grams of protein is still a donut.”
Falcone says there is a place for certain items to have more protein — the person who insists on toast and butter or margarine for breakfast might benefit from high-protein bread — but there are lots of naturally existing items that are full of protein, including eggs, milk, cheese, tofu and beans, for example. With the novelty products, at the end of the day, it’s still vodka and candy, she says.
And here’s the other thing: Perhaps as a result of the marketing hype, many of us are under the impression we’re not getting enough protein. But the science actually says we are already eating too much of it, or at least too much of the wrong kind. Ask the experts and you’ll find out very little has changed in the science of protein. The goal, always, is to prevent sarcopenia, which is a progressive process that reduces lean muscle mass by between three and eight per cent each decade after the age of 30. Protein is something that guards against this process and spreading it out throughout the day helps even more.
Falcone recommends that for sedentary older adults, the suggested range is one to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, so a 130-pound (58.9-kilogram) woman should eat close to 71 grams of protein a day. And, she says, one should make sure to spread that protein across all three meals. As such, a 180-pound man who needs 97.9 grams of protein per day should divide it into approximately 30 grams per meal, with snack supplements as needed. The 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is for people who are slightly more active — someone who goes for a 15- to 20-minute walk every day, for example.
“Muscle mass is what helps us stay strong as we age,” Falcone says. “Whether you’re active or not, it’ll help protect against the risk of falls or any bone issue.”
She adds that protein, when combined with other components of a balanced meal, actually helps to stabilize our blood sugar better and it helps us feel fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time.
Anar Jamal, a Calgary-based registered dietitian, refers to the “healthy plate” model from the latest Canada’s Food Guide.
“Half fruits and vegetables, a quarter carbohydrates, with whole wheat starches and a quarter protein,” Jamal says. “Make water your drink of choice and then we state the good sources of protein. The guide, which came out in 2019, also emphasizes protein from plants, [which often give you fibre as well.]”
She also reminds people that there are lots of proteins in foods that don’t necessarily spring to mind as having any protein at all. Eggs, tofu, yogurt and cottage cheese are obvious, but some of the foods that qualify as fruit and vegetables also have protein, as do legumes. Even a half cup of green peas, for example, has four grams of protein. One cup of cottage cheese has 25 grams.
Jamal adds that increasing your protein is important, but you won’t maintain muscle mass without resistance training. She suggests buying simple exercise bands for resistance work, but weights are also suitable.
“The important message is that adequate protein spread across the day, combined with resistance exercise, becomes increasingly important with age,” Jamal says, adding that people should always ask their doctors about protein amounts, too, as there are other considerations, such as the health of the kidneys.
She adds that in several provinces and territories, you can take advantage of the services of a registered dietitian if you access the care through the publicly funded provincial health-care system.
The experts agree that people who were recently hospitalized and are in the process of healing should consider adding some protein to their diet, again on the advice of a dietitian or doctor.
Jennifer Campbell keeps track of her macronutrients and has yet to try protein vodka, even though it claims to be “crafted for the wellness-minded.”
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