Fitness coach shares 6 ‘high-protein’ foods which actually fall short of meeting your daily protein needs

Find out which of the foods in your diet may not be providing adequate protein content. Consider swapping them or modifying for better results.

Protein is one of the core fundamentals of any diet, with daily intake being highly recommended. In order to meet the daily goals, some ‘high-protein’ rich foods are incorporated into the diet. But, not every protein-rich food truly lives up to the hype, and sometimes they only provide a modest amount of protein whilst being rich in other unhealthy content, like sugar, fat and high calories.

Fitness coach Sean Fanning shared high-protein foods with a catch in his November 2 Instagram post. He listed out 6 high-protein foods that many may think are high-protein, but are often not.

1. Full-fat Greek yoghurt

First up on the list is Greek yoghurt with high, full-fat content. As per the fitness coach's recommendation, avoid full-fat Greek yoghurt and instead opt for low-fat Greek yoghurt.

“On its own, 100g of Greek yoghurt only holds 10g of protein, whereas the low-fat version holds 13g, not a massive difference, but add a scoop of protein powder to the light Greek yoghurt and you have almost tripled the protein content while halving the calories.”

One of the hacks he suggested is to add a scoop of protein powder to low-fat Greek yoghurt, which helps to triple the protein and cut the fat.

2. Peanut butter

Sean advised removing peanut butter from your diet because the protein-to-calorie ratio is weak. “The protein-to-calorie ratio isn’t worth it, and it’s not a good source of ‘healthy fats'," he added, reminding it is not good for those looking to reduce weight, especially the belly fat.

Watch out for these foods as they may require close attention. (Picture credit: Chat GPT )

3. Eggs

Eggs are often labelled as a superfood. But Sean shared that there's a hidden catch here, as it may not provide sufficient protein. “One egg is only 6 grams of protein; 2 for breakfast is not enough," he noted. This means eggs cannot be one of the primary sources of protein intake, or at least not alone. Consider pairing them with other protein sources.

4. Protein cereal bars

Protein cereal bars are usually the go-to snack bars. But the fitness coach warned that they also contain other harmful ingredients, including loads of sugar, which reduces the otherwise ‘healthy’ benefits of these bars. Even the amount of protein in these bars is quite small, making them not worth all the added sugar.

5. Nuts

Sean called nuts a ‘terrible snack.’ “Not worth the calories, nor the temptation they create to just eat more,” he reminded how one can overeat nuts quickly. To counter this, he suggested strict portioning, as nuts do contain good fibre.

6. Pre-made protein snacks

Lately, with the rising recognition of protein as a non-negligible component in the daily diet, more and more snacks are coming out with big protein labels. But Sean shared his own experience, admitting that he usually avoids anything that has a protein label in it. Instead, his recommended sources of protein are meat and dairy because often bars and shakes may be low in fat but very high in sugar.

In the end, it is better to have more natural sources of protein and include a variety of foods. This ensures your diet stays balanced and all your protein needs are met.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.