Are high-protein foods useful or marketing gimmicks? Chennai fitness trainer with 18 years of experience explains

Nowadays, protein is added in everything, from snack bars, to chips and even ice creams. Raj Ganpath explains if they are actually healthy.

The importance of protein in a healthy diet cannot be overstated. And with an increasing number of people becoming conscious about their fitness, aided to a large extent by social media, there has been a growing demand for protein in the market.

High-protein ice creams maybe delicious, but they should not be considered a serious source of protein, shares Raj. (Pexel)

This presented an opportunity to the food and beverage companies to add more protein to a wide variety of products and market them as healthy food. However, not all sources of protein work the same.

Taking to Instagram on May 11, Raj Ganpath, a Chennai-based fitness coach with 18 years of experience and founder of The Quad, looked into five high-protein foods and drinks and explained if they are worth adding to the diet.

1. Protein bars

Protein bars have been made popular as an easily accessible source of protein that can be consumed on the go, making them the perfect snack for a healthy diet. However, the reality is far from it, shared Raj.

The fitness trainer described it as a “candy bar with added protein and sweeteners instead of sugar.” There are 10-20 grams of protein for 200-400 calories in the protein bar, which makes the protein efficiency low to moderate, as one gets only a single gram of protein for every 10-20 calories.

However, it is useful for “people who are very active and have calories to spare, as an extra source of protein and calories,” shared Raj.

2. High-protein ice cream

Ice cream is arguably everyone’s favourite food. The high protein variation of ice cream comes with added milk protein and artificial sweeteners instead of large amounts of sugar, shared Raj.

The protein content of high-protein ice cream is usually two to five grams in 80-150 calories, he shared. This makes the protein efficiency very low as it provides a single gram of protein for every 20-40 calories.

“Useful as a lower sugar dessert option and not as a serious protein source,” observed Raj.

3. High-protein lassi

In high-protein lassi, whey or milk protein is added to the curd-based drink. They often have low fat and sugar, and a protein content of 10-20 grams in 80-160 calories. This makes their protein efficiency high, as it provides a gram of protein for every six to 10 calories. According to Raj, it is “useful as a convenient snack, post-workout protein option or a modest dessert.”

4. High-protein chips

High-protein chips are generally made with whey, soy, pea or lentil protein instead of mostly starch, which makes their protein content 10-25 grams for 200-500 calories. The protein efficiency of the food is low to moderate, as a single gram of protein comes with 10-20 calories.

According to Raj, it is “useful for active people as a better alternative to regular chips, but still calorie-dense and easy to overeat.”

5. High-protein milk

This is basically filtered milk with concentrated milk protein, lower lactose and no sugar. It has eight to 15 grams of protein in 60-120 calories, making the protein efficiency very high. As one gram of protein can be obtained with just five to eight calories, Raj considers the option equivalent to protein powder and “useful for people struggling to get enough protein from regular food.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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