Protein is having a moment, and big packaged food brands like General Mills are keeping up. Big brands — like Wheaties and Cheerios — are trying to muscle their way into the latest craze for more protein. Wheaties Protein Maple Almond offers 22 grams of protein now, up from 3 grams in the classic Wheaties flavor. Big supermarket brands launching high-protein versions of their cereals feels like the peak of a health trend cycle. That’s not so far off from the Atkins low-carb craze of the 2000s or the low-fat fad of the 1990s. Even staples like Cheerios now have their own high-protein version — Cheerios Protein. That’s because a recent survey shows that 71% of consumers are trying to get more protein into their diets. Ghost is a cereal made with soy and dairy protein, offering 18 grams per servings and coming in two flavors: peanut butter and marshmallow — yes, the same marshmallow recipe as Lucky Charms. Nutritionists today argue that people in America get way more protein than what our bodies require. Food scientists acknowledge that companies wouldn’t have invested so much effort if the hunger for protein hadn’t kept pace. Over half of the products with high protein claims have high sodium or fat content, and about a quarter have high amounts of sugar and saturated fat. The bottom line: protein fortified food is slightly better than junk.
