IN CONSUMER REPORTS TODAY: MOVE
OVER FAT- FREE AND
GLUTEN-FREE. THE LATEST BUZZWORD
IN THE SUPERMARKET IS "PROTEIN."
AND ALMOST HALF OF AMERICANS SAY
THEY WANT TO BOOST THE
AMOUNT OF PROTEIN THEY EAT. BUT
CONSUMER REPORTS FINDS
THAT "PROTEIN" DOESN'T ALWAYS
MEAN HEALTHY OR EVEN TASTY, FOR
THAT MATTER.
YOU'LL SEE PROTEIN TOUTED ON ALL
KINDS OF PRODUCTS THESE
DAYS. IT'S BEING ADDED TO
EVERYTHING FROM TORTILLA CHIPS
TO
ENGLISH MUFFINS TO BREAKFAST
CEREAL.
AMY KEATING
NUTRITIONIST
CONSUMER REPORTS
"WE DO NEED PROTEIN IN OUR DIETS
TO HELP
REPAIR CELLS AND BUILD NEW ONES.
AND SOME STUDIES SHOW THAT IT
CAN HELP CURB
HUNGER."
BUT DO WE NEED EXTRA PROTEIN
ADDED TO OUR FOOD? THE TRUTH IS,
MOST AMERICANS
GET ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THEIR
DAILY DIET. AND FOODS WITH
ADDED PROTEIN ARE NOT
NECESSARILY BETTER FOR YOU.
"ADDED PROTEIN IS OFTEN ONE OF
MANY HIGHLY PROCESSED
INGREDIENTS IN A LOT OF
THESE FOODS, AND IT'S BEST TO
GET YOUR
PROTEIN FROM WHOLE FOODS, LIKE
DAIRY
PRODUCTS, SOY, EGGS, BEANS AND
LEAN
MEATS."
PROTEIN ON A LABEL CAN ALSO
LEAD TO UNHEALTHY CHOICES. IF
YOU SEE PROTEIN ON,
SAY, A BROWNIE, YOU MIGHT THINK
THAT IT'S GOOD FOR YOU. BUT THIS
PROTEIN BROWNIE CONTAINS 400
CALORIES AND HAS 24 GRAMS OF
FAT.
TO SEE HOW THE PROTEIN-PUMPED
FOODS TASTE, CONSUMER
REPORTS RAN BLIND TASTE TESTS ON
A WIDE RANGE OF SMOOTHIES,
CEREALS AND SNACKS, CHIPS AND
BREAD PRODUCTS.
"OVERALL WE FOUND MOST OF THE
PROTEIN
VERSIONS DIDN'T TASTE AS GOOD AS
THE
REGULAR ONES. AND THEY CAN COST
MORE,
SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY BE PAYING
MORE FOR A
NUTRIENT THAT YOU DON'T EVEN
NEED."
ONE EXCEPTION? SOME OF THE
PROTEIN SHAKES TASTED QUITE
GOOD. BUT THEY GET THEIR PROTEIN
FROM REAL MILK, RATHER THAN SOME
KIND OF PROCESSED PROTEIN. LISA
BUDEAU, VNL.
WHEN PEOPLE HEAR "PROTEIN," TOO
MANY OF US THINK "RED MEAT."
MAKE AN EFFORT TO HAVE FISH A
COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.
GO FOR NUTS AS A SNACK, AND
REMEMBER THAT FOODS LIKE
HUMMUS AND EDAMAME ARE A FUN WAY
TO EAT BEANS, WHICH ARE
RICH IN PROTEIN AS WELL.
