It’s right up front in the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “Prioritize protein foods at every meal.” So the food industry stands ready to help. Companies can plainly see the opportunity to make some quick money by selling “a good source of protein.” This is where the winds of commerce are blowing and everyone – including our health secretary – recognizes an opportunity to profit.
Both commercial and political profits are well-aligned in this situation. Politico reports that the administration figures the politics of food will be better for the midterms than “going wild” on anti-vaccine policies.
A Good Source of Protein?
But is the promise of “a good source of protein” truthful when you take a close look? If you take the example of “protein bars,” that is not so clear. A recent study of such bars in Scientific Reports raises important questions:
“Although most protein bars are labelled ‘high in protein,’ their protein nutritional quality could be very low based on DIAAS. The low numbers are most probably due to application of lower-nutritional-quality proteins (such as collagen) and of other ingredients such as carbohydrates, fats and fibres, that might deteriorate the bioaccessibility of essential amino acids.”
DIAAS, the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score, is a index that measures protein quality. So this research is suggesting that the quality of protein in these protein-fortified snacks is not something you can rely upon.
A Pop Culture Illusion
Writing for The Atlantic, Nicholas Florko says that Americans are deluding themselves and eating candy bars in disguise:
“For anyone with a sweet tooth, it can feel like food companies have developed guilt-free candy. But that’s where things get disorienting. Some of these products are seemingly nutritionally benign, whereas others are nothing more than junk food trying to cash in on protein’s good reputation. The new protein-spiked Pop-Tarts contain the same amount of sugar as the original Pop-Tarts—30 grams. Or consider Gatorade’s protein bar, which has roughly as much sugar as a full-size Snickers. At this point, the line between protein bar and candy bar has never been blurrier.”
Prioritize protein foods at every meal. Eat real food – in the right amount for you. This glib advice pretty much sums up our new dietary guidelines. If only good nutrition was quite so simple. It’s not, but that’s what industry and politicians are selling this year.
Click here for the study of protein bars by Judit Tormási et al in Scientific Reports. For free access to the article by Nicholas Florko in The Atlantic, click here.
Wilde Buffalo Protein Chips, photograph by Ted Kyle / ConscienHealth
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February 23, 2026 at 8:21 pm, Katherine R said:
Ted – and All,
I spoke on being the best version of your older self recently to about 30 people.
My main point was to manage weight overall and build healthier plates with adequate hydration as we age past, say 50+ (target audience, mostly adults).
I served the rather expensive Quest Chips in three flavors, water, tea and perhaps washed/dried clementines that Saturday afternoon.
The protein project here I feel is a good one when it comes to breakfast. Now educating about removing some carbs from those sources – to your point – is a good move, again in my opinion. We want the fruits and veggies washed and dried. Perhaps we will have to build more food prep as the economy becomes more troubled.
For now – great picture and thank you for writing!