we could say white rice is

packed with 10g of protein

Rice is packed with 10g of protein!

... if you eat 1,883 calories worth of it.

That’s a silly example, but this is what advertising in the protein space is like.

Almonds are on nearly every “high protein” infograph, and if I [were a psycho and] ate a diet of only almonds? I’d only get about half a day’s worth of protein (we recommend 1g per 1lb of your target bodyweight).

Of course a balanced diet is made up of diverse foods. But if your “high protein foods” don’t exceed (let alone reach) optimal protein levels, you’re guaranteed to fall short on protein after mixing in healthy carbs and fats.

Bar graph titled "PROTEIN (g) per 100 calories" comparing various foods. Foods like almonds and peanut butter are lowest in protein density, while chicken breast, top loin steak, and MOMO Whey Protein rank highest.

we made some ugly charts to prove a point

Let’s measure how some of these “high protein” foods rank relative to an equal amount of calories.

The message ISN’T to eat a cheeseburger instead of almonds. Almonds are a great source of fat. This is to point out that most of us think we eat enough protein because we eat “x” food.

Try measuring the protein in all your food for just one day to see how little protein you’re consuming.

If you’re getting enough, you don’t need any protein supplement!

Bar graph titled "Variance in Protein Bars" comparing protein content per 100 calories across various foods and protein bar brands. Bars for protein bars (labeled Brand A to K) show wide variability, with some scoring lower than a Shake Shack double bacon cheeseburger. Real whole foods like chicken breast and MOMO Whey Protein rank highest on the right side of the chart.

okay we said not the cheeseburger but...

*why we said ‘average’ protein bar

Everyone and their mom is advertising protein amounts on their packaging now, hoping you won’t look closer.

Here are a few well known brands we looked at in grocery stores and Amazon, all advertising a high protein content.

About half of these performed worse than a greasy double bacon cheeseburger from Shake Shack.

We need to learn how to check the nutrition labels for ourselves.

Bar graph titled "Variance in Greek/Icelandic Yogurts" comparing protein per 100 calories across yogurt brands and other foods. Yogurt brands vary widely in protein density, with some ranking lower than a cheeseburger and others nearing high-protein whole foods like chicken breast and MOMO Whey Protein. Chart highlights the importance of reading labels rather than relying on brand reputation alone.

even in foods we think are the same

I love greek and icelandic yogurts! They’re a great source of protein and full of awesome nutrients; they’re a regular breakfast food for me.

I didn’t realize my casual breakfast recommendation could be harmful until a friend showed me the greek yogurt they chose “for protein”. I can’t blame them for choosing a tasty product with a great reputation if all they know is “greek yogurt = good.”

Foods that have a reputation for being healthy are a great starting point in looking for protein rich foods, but we need to learn to analyze the Nutrition Facts ourselves.

so how do we analyze a nutrition label?

I made a quick hack to determine whether a nutrition label is high in protein or not, and it’s served me well for years.

In short, if the # of grams of protein are above 10% the calories, then it’s a pretty good source of protein.

For a broader description, why it works for me, and how you might apply it more in depth to your life, I wrote about it here

HOW TO READ labels for protein