Is That Food Really High in Protein? Here’s How to Tell!

It's easy to be tricked by food packaging that says "high-protein" or "good source of protein," but how can you really tell if a food lives up to that claim? Here’s a simple way to figure out if a food, recipe, or product is genuinely high in protein and a good addition to your diet.

1️⃣ **Check the Protein-to-Calorie Ratio**

A food is truly high in protein if a big part of its calories comes from protein. To check this:

🔹 Look at the Nutrition Label

- Find out how many grams of protein are in one serving.

- Multiply that number by 4 (since protein has 4 calories in each gram).

- Divide this result by the total number of calories per serving.

- If at least 20-25% of the calories come from protein, then it’s a solid source.

👉 Example: A protein bar has 200 calories and 10g of protein.

- 10g protein × 4 = 40 calories from protein

- 40 ÷ 200 = 20% → ✔️ Good source of protein.

👉 Now compare it to another product with 250 calories and only 6g of protein.

- 6g protein × 4 = 24 calories from protein

- 24 ÷ 250 = 9.6% → ❌ Not really high in protein!

2️⃣ **Look at Serving Size**

A food might seem high in protein, but the serving size could be very large. If you need to eat two or three servings to get a decent amount of protein, it’s probably not as good as it looks.

3️⃣ **Compare to Whole Protein Sources**

To see if a food product is truly worth it, compare it to easily recognizable protein sources like:

- Chicken breast: 30g protein per 150 calories

- Greek yogurt (nonfat): 20g protein per 100 calories

- Egg whites: 10g protein per 50 calories

If a "high-protein" snack has much fewer grams of protein for the same calories, it might just be clever marketing.

4️⃣ **Check the Ingredients List**

If a product is really meant to be high in protein, protein should be one of the first ingredients listed. Look for things like:

✔️ Whey protein isolate

✔️ Casein protein

✔️ Pea or soy protein

✔️ Egg whites

If you see things like syrups, starches, or oils at the top of the list, it likely has more carbs or fats with just a little protein.

5️⃣ **Be Careful with Buzzwords**

🚩 Terms like "protein-packed" or "good source of protein" aren’t very helpful without actual numbers.

🚩 "Added protein" usually means there’s a small amount included.

🚩 "Plant-based protein" can be great, but double-check that it has a good amount of protein per serving (some plant-based options may have more carbs and fats than protein).

**Bottom Line**

To really see if a food, recipe, or product is high in protein, follow these steps:

✅ Check the protein-to-calorie ratio (look for at least 20% of total calories from protein).

✅ Consider the serving size—is it realistic?

✅ Compare it to whole protein sources—does it match what you find in lean meats, dairy, or legumes?

✅ Read the ingredients—protein should be one of the first listed.

✅ Don’t fall for flashy marketing—numbers are what really count!