Has High Protein Gone Too Far?
Bet you can't eat just one. The other day a friend offered me a potato chip, and not just any chip. This one was infused with protein.
Let me be clear. I don't have a problem with the occasional potato chip or processed snack. And on the surface, a bit of protein in something that's otherwise just carbs and fat will probably help with satiety, energy, and overall nutrition. That's all good.
But then I looked at the label, and it read like a science experiment. That's when it hit me. Has our obsession with protein gone too far? Do we really need to take apart a potato chip and rebuild it with more protein?
To me, the chip is a perfect allegory for the protein craze that has swept through media and culture over the last few years. At its core, a potato chip is a humble preparation. Potato, oil, salt, a bit of heat and care, and you have something delicious. I wouldn't eat them regularly or in large quantities, but it's a simple, recognizable food that can be enjoyed now and then as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Here's where it gets interesting. It's not just chips. There are protein candy bars, protein added milk, higher protein pasta and bread, and even protein infused water. Some of these are reasonable, fairly obvious adjustments, like adding whey protein to milk for a boost. Others, I fear, are just processed food companies putting a new spin on what we used to simply call junk food.
Protein doesn't automatically make something healthy. If it takes a long list of highly processed ingredients and processes to get there, I'll stick with my potato chip in moderation and my otherwise balanced diet, thanks.
That doesn't mean I'm against protein. I just think the best sources are foods that were high in protein before anyone put it on a label. This week I put up a video on YouTube for one of them: a ranch dressing built on cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Store bought ranch has almost no protein, and this version has up to about 7.5 g per 2 oz serving. The recipe is below, and you can watch the video here.
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High Protein Ranch
Ranch built on dry curd cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, blended until silky smooth. Ten minutes, one blender, and it beats the bottle. Weigh everything straight into the blender jug on a scale if you can.
Ingredients
- 175 g dry curd cottage cheese, 0% fat, high protein (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 150 g 0% Greek yogurt (⅔ cup, scant)
- 30 g pickle juice (2 tbsp) to start, up to 45 g (3 tbsp) to thin
- 15 g lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- 15 g Dijon mustard (1 tbsp)
- 1.5 g salt, to taste (¼ tsp)
- 1.5 g garlic powder (½ tsp)
- 1.2 g onion powder (½ tsp)
- About 6 g fresh chives, chopped (2 tbsp)
- About 2 g fresh dill, chopped (2 tbsp)
- Black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste (about ¼ tsp)
Method
- Put the blender jug on a scale and tare. Add the cottage cheese.
- Tare again and add the Greek yogurt, then tare again and add 30 g (2 tbsp) of pickle juice.
- Add the lemon juice, Dijon, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend for 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down the sides, until ridiculously smooth. This keeps it from tasting chalky.
- Whisk in the garlic powder and onion powder. Taste and add more salt if it needs it.
- Thin with a little more pickle juice if needed, up to 45 g (3 tbsp) total.
- Stir in the chives, dill, and pepper.
- Chill for at least 10 minutes. It keeps about 5 days in the fridge.
Makes about 1⅓ cups (about 400 g), roughly 7 servings of 2 oz (57 g).
Make it your own: hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne, or diced jalapeño for spicy. Tarragon, parsley, or green onion for more herbs. A pinch of smoked paprika for smoky. A little more lemon juice for extra tang.
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A note on the protein number: up to about 7.5 g per 2 oz (57 g) serving, calculated from the nutrition labels of the products I used and USDA values for the rest. Your number will shift with the brands you buy and how much pickle juice you add.
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This Week's Fridge Note
Judge protein by the ratio, not the grams.
Grams per serving can fool you, because a big serving of anything has more of everything. Instead, look at grams of protein per calorie. If you know your daily needs, the math is simple: divide your daily protein goal by your daily calories. That's your target ratio. (Example: 120 g of protein on a 2,000 calorie day is 6 g per 100 calories.)
Then do the same math on the label of a protein bar or a protein chip. If it lands close to your target or above it, it's probably a win. If it falls well short, give it some thought.
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One more thing. Soon I'll be taking on a few clients to beta test my health coaching program. If you're curious whether it would be a good fit for you, let me know. You can reply directly to this email.
And tell me where you land on protein chips. I'd like to hear it.
Until next week.
Chris
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