Is the new protein food craze legit?
This all really started with that smoothie store. You know, that one—I don’t think I have to name-drop it, since it’s been pretty popular over the 16 or so years it’s been around. They did the whole protein thing first, but it was only because it was their brand’s gimmick to be all healthy and cater to wellness nuts. They used to be the only place one could get a protein berry smoothie, or literally any smoothie with a scoop of whey or soy protein powder.
But like sleep and falling in love, the craze started slowly, then crested all at once. A few years ago, a fast coffee brand started offering protein-infused coffee. It was really expensive for the concoction that was being offered. I would have gotten much more value for my money by just buying my own protein powder, making my own shakes, and washing my own shakers.
A craze that crested
One of the local yogurt brands started offering a protein-powered cup of frozen yogurt, which I tried for the first time earlier. For a little over P200, I got a creamy 6.5 grams of protein, along with a choice of two toppings that varied in their calorie count. (They were also nice enough to provide calorie counts for these toppings despite not being in Quezon City.)
Then, as recently as a couple of weeks ago, one of the really affordable coffee chains started offering a protein-spiked line of drinks: a latte, matcha, and other non-caffeinated stuff. This was the cheapest at under P200 for an advertised 20 grams of a fellow local supplement brand, which I know, at least, is a dependable nutrition brand based on a protein controversy that happened a few years ago.
The local food industry is catching up to the protein craze that’s already taken hold of the US, and personally, I’m all for it. It’s actually harder than it seems to hit the recommended daily intake of 0.8-1g of protein per 1 kg of body weight (which fluctuates depending on your current fitness goals) without derailing your daily calorie intake at the same time, so anything that packs a little more of the good stuff in a meal or a cup of coffee definitely helps.
However, I also know that sometimes, these can be marketing gimmicks with some caveats loaded, so one has to be discerning as well. Sometimes, your iced coffee with a scoop of whey can be too good to be true, so it’s important to really know what you’re putting in your body.
Breaking down the protein craze
First off, do you really need to up your protein intake, even if you’re not training and lifting to get big muscles?
The answer is always a yes—everyone can benefit from more protein, especially the older you get. Sarcopenia, or gradual muscle loss caused by aging, is very real, and it starts in your 30s, which means there is a valid reason to put all that protein powder in your food and drinks, especially for the trentahin and above crowd with more spending power to afford these.
But is getting your protein through fast food and fast coffee the way to go? Once again, it depends on a lot of factors—namely, your particular fitness and nutritional goals, and your budget.
The protein additions range from less than 10g to under 30g (around the maximum amount you can find in one or two scoops of whey powder). And while that sounds fine, remember that unlike said powder, protein-infused food and drinks aren’t carrying just protein—they come with the other macro- and micronutrients, meaning you can also get much more carbs, fats, sodium, sugar, and other possibly unwanted or unneeded nutrients along with the protein. (For example, I know the protein froyo I had came with a good bit of sugar.)
It’s a nice and convenient way to get your protein, yes, but if you’re following a strict nutritional plan, these items are much more likely to derail your regimen. At that rate, it’s definitely more nutritionally efficient to make your own protein shake.
And financially efficient, too. As I mentioned earlier, that 6.5g-protein cup of frozen yogurt ran me a little over P200; anyone who’s bought even a 1-lb. pack of whey powder will tell you that you get way more for your money’s worth when you make your own. At this point, you’re just paying the premium for being able to down some protein outside your kitchen and not having to deal with the annoying cleanup that comes after.
The final breakdown
So, is it worth getting your added protein through restaurants, coffee vendors, yogurt shops, and whatever else comes up from here?
If you’ve got the extra money and the additional space in your diet for it (or you just want to casually consume a little more protein every day), then by all means, go for it. If you’re outside and need to catch up to your macro count, it’s not a bad idea to partake in it—think of it as emergency protein. Again, it’s not a terrible proposition outright.
But if you’re a little tighter and stricter in your goals and budget, this isn’t really the way to go. It’s too expensive and too indulgent for what we can get much more of at home.
That said, the notion of putting more protein in our food, even if it is a bit of an extravagant novelty right now, is always going to be commendable. Maybe we’ll get to a point where fast food could be formulated better, or ready-to-drink protein shakes and milk could make their way to our convenience stores and supermarket shelves—the way they do in other countries. But for now, this is a good start. I have full faith that these baby steps now could lead to better executions months and years from now.
Maybe then I won’t have to keep mentally calculating how much protein I’ve already had in a day.
