Protein continue to be the country’s favourite nutrient. We now have high-protein yoghurts, cereal, bread, wraps, bars, puddings, ice cream, and even snack foods that traditionally had very little to do with protein. So, are high protein foods healthy, or has adding protein simply become another way to make a product look healthier?

As dietitians, we’re certainly not anti-protein. Protein is essential, and there are plenty of situations where increasing it can be useful. However, seeing “20g protein” splashed across the front of a packet doesn’t automatically tell you whether that food is a good choice.

The main consideration is, what else are you getting (or missing) when that product ends up in your trolley.

Why is everything suddenly high protein?

The focus on protein hasn’t appeared out of nowhere.

Fitness culture has talked about protein for years. More recently, social media has taken that message to a much bigger audience. “What I eat in a day” videos, macro tracking, and influencer product reviews regularly promote foods based on how many grams of protein they contain. As a result, protein has become shorthand for “healthy”, “filling”, and “good for weight loss”.

There’s also another factor: the growing use of GLP-1 medications for weight management. These medicines can significantly reduce appetite and overall food intake. Therefore, people using them are often encouraged to pay closer attention to adequate protein.

Food manufacturers have responded. If consumers are actively looking for protein, putting “high protein” in large letters on the front of a packet makes sense commercially. However, the kicker is, that many of these foods were already high protein, or they have an ultra-processed protein ingredient added to. Therefore, a product high in protein and a nutritionally balanced food are not always the same thing.

Are high protein foods healthy?

Sometimes. But protein content alone can’t answer that question.

A high-protein yoghurt made from milk with additional milk protein might be a practical, nutrient-dense snack. It may provide protein, calcium and other nutrients in an easy-to-eat form. On the other hand, adding protein to a biscuit, chocolate bar or dessert doesn’t suddenly make a biscuit healthy.

This is where the health halo comes into play. We tend to see words such as “protein”, “natural”, “low sugar”, or “keto” and automatically perceive a food as healthier. For example, a snack might contain added whey or casein to increase its protein content while still being relatively low in fibre and containing significant saturated fat, sodium, sweeteners, or other highly processed ingredients.

The issue is the idea that adding protein cancels everything else out, and it doesn’t.

Most Australians already get enough protein

This is the part of the protein conversation that often gets lost.

According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 98.5% of Australians had an adequate protein intake in 2023. In fact most people are eating more than an enough protein. However, for older adults or women, meeting these goals is harder, as our requirements change with age, and individual needs. Often we need more protein at certain times of the day, then an increase in overall protein.

If you’re struggling to find a way to get enough protein into your breakfast, check out our breakfast secret weapon for your protein goals and overall health.

While we’re chasing protein, what about fibre?

If there’s one nutrient we’d love to see getting some of protein’s publicity, it’s fibre.

Australian Nutrient Reference Values recommend around 30g of fibre per day for adult men and 25g per day for women.

Yet the latest Australian dietary data show just 4.8% of adults met the recommendation for vegetables, legumes and beans, while 27.3% met their grain and cereal recommendation. Additionally, more than three-quarters of the grain foods Australians consumed were refined or lower-fibre varieties rather than wholegrain or high-fibre options. Fibre supports bowel function, feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and can help with cholesterol, blood glucose management and fullness.

Therefore, if someone is already meeting their protein requirements but regularly replaces fruit, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, or other plant foods with highly processed protein products, adding more protein may not address the bigger gap in their diet.

When can protein-added supermarket foods actually be useful?

There are plenty of times when we’d happily recommend them.

Not every packaged high-protein food is ultra-processed, and not every ultra-processed food needs to disappear from your diet. Convenience is important to most people’s lifestyles, and packaged foods can absolutely fit into a balanced way of eating. A high-protein yoghurt can make a convenient breakfast or afternoon snack. Protein-fortified milk may help someone with a small appetite increase their intake without needing a much larger serve of food. A protein bar can also be handy when you’re travelling, working long hours, or trying to find something practical after training.

Check out our post about ultra-processed snacks and what to look for.

A food-first approach still works

You don’t need every snack and meal to come with a protein claim on the packet.

Milk, yoghurt, eggs, cheese, fish, chicken, red meat, tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds already provide protein. Many also bring other nutrients to the table. For example, legumes provide protein and fibre. Dairy foods provide protein and calcium. Nuts and seeds provide protein alongside fibre, unsaturated fats, and other micronutrients.

Protein powders and protein-added products do not, but adding them to a meal to top up your protein intake, rather than displacing a meal is the best approach.

The take-home message: are high protein foods healthy?

So, are high protein foods healthy?

Some absolutely can be. Others are simply highly processed foods with extra whey, casein, or another protein ingredient added to make the nutrition panel (and the marketing) look more appealing.

For most Australians, the bigger priorities may be distributing protein more evenly across the day and making sure we’re not neglecting fibre, vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and legumes in the process.

Instead of asking only, “How much protein does this have?”, ask, “What else is this food giving me?”

If you’re confused or find it difficult to determine how much protein you actually need, particularly if you’re using a GLP-1 medication, training regularly, getting older or managing a medical condition, our Wagga Wagga and Sunshine Coast Dietitian can help you work out a target that suits you. You can contact the Ingrained Nutrition team for practical, individualised nutrition advice.