Protein Bars and Protein Washing

Protein is the most marketed nutrient in the grocery store right now. It has moved past bars and shakes into cereal, chips, cookies, coffee and even water. Some of these products are useful. Many are ordinary snacks with a little protein added so the word can go on the box. That practice is sometimes called protein washing.

Why the box can mislead

The front of the package shows the protein number, not what came with it. A cookie with 12 grams of protein sounds reasonable until you see it also carries 400 calories and 25 grams of sugar. The protein is real, but it is a small part of the snack.

For most people trying to build or keep muscle, protein is the nutrient they are short on and calories are the one they have plenty of. So the useful question is how much protein you get for the calories.

What to read on the label

Protein per calorie. Multiply the grams of protein by 10. If that number is close to the calories, or higher, the food is a real protein source. If the calories are far higher, protein is the garnish.

• A 5 ounce cooked chicken breast has about 40 grams of protein and roughly 230 calories. That is 400 against 230, so it is a real protein source.
• A cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt has about 23 grams of protein and roughly 130 calories. That is 230 against 130, also a real protein source.
• A protein cookie with 12 grams of protein and 400 calories comes to 120 against 400. That is a cookie.

Sugar and sugar alcohols. Many bars keep the sugar line low by using sugar alcohols, which often end in "itol." They carry fewer calories, but larger amounts commonly cause gas and loose stools.

The fiber source. A bar listing 10 or more grams of fiber usually gets there with an added fiber such as inulin, often listed as chicory root fiber. These raise the number on the label without the rest of what whole food fiber brings, and they are a frequent cause of bloating.

The protein source. Whey, milk protein and soy protein are complete proteins. Collagen is often used to raise the protein count cheaply, but it is low in leucine, the amino acid that signals muscle to build, so it does less for muscle than the gram count suggests.

Whole food first

Bars and shakes have a place. On a travel day, a good one is better than skipping a meal. They work best as a backup.

Most of your protein should come from foods that are mostly protein: eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, fish, lean beef, and beans paired with another protein. Those foods do not need a label to tell you what they are.

Knowing your own protein target makes these choices easier, because you can see what a food actually adds to your day. That's where a plan built from your own numbers helps.

See how HYBRD Nutrition works

This article is educational and is not medical advice.