There’s been far too little coverage in the mainstream media about the bogus precept behind the current craze for added protein. Doctors say we already get enough protein in our everyday diets. But food processors are making hay over adding it to almost everything…
Perdue High-Protien Chicken Nuggets: Advertised as protein-packed’, even though
they contain no added protein. Chicken has long been known as a rich source
of protein. Perdue is just restating the obvious, in big, bold print!
One aspect of the protien-pumping craze that really bothers me is that most of us don’t need more. But protein is a big catch-word in the Foodsphere. And consumers respond to it like dogs to the din-ner bell. Clearly, folks need to be better-informed on the whole, broader issue…
What we need
The average adult needs about 60 g of protein per day. And protein should make up an average of 20 percent of your daily caloric intake. Doctors say the vast majority of us get more than we need in our daily diets, even if we don’t stick scrupulously to the recommendations of Canada’s Food Guide or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The only folks who actually need supplementary protein are body builders and high-performance, elite athletes.
So when you hear Ultra-Processed-Food (UPF) makers boasting about adding protein to their prod-ucts, you’re hearing a desperate purveyors of junk foods trying to convince you their products are healthier that they really are.
An ironic situation
How ironic it is to see UPF makers adding ‘healthy stuff’ to their wares but not removing the stuff that makes them unhealthy in the first place. However, that picture is changing as we speak.
One thing US Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretry Robert F. Kenney Jr. is doing right is banning artificial colourings in foods.
And, in step with the craze for added protein, makers of products from soda to soup are hyping their efforts to remove artificial colourings from their products. Nevertheless, most of the stuff that makes their UPF products unhealthy is still in there.
Not just protein
And it’s not just protein that is being leveraged by UPF makers in their campaigns to convince you their UPFs are actually healthy. Dietary fibre has come into play as a high-profile issue. Unike protein, the experts say we all need more fibre in our diets, both the ‘soluble’ and ‘mechanical’ types.
Fibre has been proven to benefit our gut microbiome, bolster our metabolism, moderate appetite, prevent blood sugar spikes, lower blood pressure and balance cholesterol levels.
But you can still get too much fibre. If you were to consume a number of fibre-pumped food products at the same time, you could suffer bloating, cramping, diarrhea and/or constipation.
My take
Don’t be fooled by the UPF makers trumpeting the addition of protein or fibre to their products. Even with the artificial colourings removed, there’s still the matter of artificial flavourings.
And the vexed issue of all the other additivies and preservatives they’re still allowed to use under the Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) principle…
~ Maggie J.