Dr Oz: Food With Added Protein + Healthiest Protein Sources

Dr Oz: Foods Fortified With Protein

There’s a new food trend taking over the grocery store. If you walk down any aisle, you’ll see any kind of food product claiming to be fortified with extra protein. Investigative reporter Elisabeth Leamy was sent to find out what in the world is going on with the protein craze. She began by explaining that it began with protein powder for body builders, which then led to protein bars. Now, protein is allegedly added to just about everything.

Sales are higher than ever as the food industry promotes the potential benefits of added protein. But are those boosted foods really the better choice? Elisabeth explained that it all started with the high protein diets, and once food marketers realized they could link protein and weight loss, consumers were suddenly overwhelmed with protein-fortified products.

Dr Oz: Health Benefits Of Protein

Elisabeth further explained that the entire idea behind protein all goes back to losing weight while adding lean muscle. The known benefits of good, natural protein include muscle building, weight loss, and protection against diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. But do we really need more protein in everyday foods? Have you bought foods with added protein? Why?

Dr Oz was quick to point out that cows grow muscle and they don’t eat any meat at all. The truth is that there are plenty of natural sources of protein like vegetables, beans, and lentils.

To explain how extra protein is added to a food product, Dr Oz used regular milk as an example. Milk comes from cows and has five natural components: water, vitamins and minerals, lactose, protein, and fat. Each component looks different, and now we have the ability to change what’s in the milk. For example, you may remove fat and lactose, and replace it with more protein.

Dr Oz: Protein-Enhanced Food Products

Elisabeth Leamy visited the Protein Bakery to find out how protein-enhanced cookies are made. The owner uses familiar cookie ingredients, but adds whey protein, which he claims helps maintain lean body mass. He made it clear that his cookies are not a meal replacement, and they are, in fact, still cookies.

There’s no denying the cookies are delicious, but what about the mass-produced food products found on grocery store shelves? Elisabeth visited the Good Housekeeping Institute to find out. She learned that when you add whey to a food product, it will help you stay fuller longer, but you’re not eating food in its most natural form, which means you’re eating a processed food with a good amount of added sugar.

Dr Oz: Healthy Ways To Get More Protein

For a natural way to get more protein, try a smoothie with chia seeds or chickpea flour instead of regular flour when baking. The healthiest way to get more protein in your diet is with whole, natural plant proteins like nuts or beans to your foods. Your second option would be to add whey or soy concentrate.

My favorite ways to get protein into my diet include chia seeds, Greek yogurt, quinoa, and leafy greens. What are yours?

Dr Oz: Getting Enough Protein In Your Diet

It is recommended that men get a minimum of 56 grams of protein per day, and 46 for women. The reality is that we get most, if not all, of that from our daily diets. If you have Greek yogurt for breakfast, you’re getting 12 grams of protein. A turkey sandwich for lunch is another 28 grams of protein, while a handful of almonds is 20 grams of protein. If you eat grilled chicken with vegetables for dinner, you can add another 43 grams of protein. That’s over 100 grams of protein, which means you’re actually getting plenty.

The truth is that when you buy food with added protein, you’re likely getting a lot of other ingredients as well. Protein-boosted skim milk contains 3 more grams of protein but 4 more grams of sugar than regular skim milk. The regular version of a common cereal contains 3 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar, while the protein-boosted version contains 3 more grams of protein and 12 more grams of sugar! Protein-enhanced ice cream bars contain artificial sweeteners.

Dr Oz wanted to make it clear that you don’t need to make food even healthier when it’s already good for you as it is, naturally.