The rise of protein washing

I bought some pork scratchings the other day, and the packet said it was ‘high in protein’. Gruntled, the brand, is distributed by the Keto Shop and is now being marketed as some type of health food. I had to laugh. Wolfing down a packet of pork scratchings in the pub is now part of the latest health kick?

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Demand for protein is being driven by health-conscious middle classes, including Gen Zers. According to one national poll, nearly half of adults in the UK have increased their protein intake in the past year, including a whopping two-thirds of those aged 16-to-34-year-olds. This is boosting demand for chicken breasts, lentils and – I can hardly believe I’m writing this sentence – cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese is, in my book, an abomination unworthy of ever making a comeback. Not only is it ugly, awful stuff, but it is also less tasty than bathroom grout. Demand for this curdled milk has increased by almost 100 per cent as it undergoes a TikTok revival and achieves the status of a Gen Z staple. A spectre from my 1970s childhood appears in my mind’s eye: cottage cheese and pineapple on Ryvita. Please, make it stop.

High-protein foods used to be seen as a boring option, favoured only by gym obsessives and fad dieters. But now that protein is a buzzword, all of a sudden crisps, sweets and bread – even ramen noodles – are being marketed as being high in the stuff. This is protein-washing – and I’m calling it out.

The ultra-processed protein bars and shakes that were in fashion a decade ago are now out, and data from Ocado shows demand for Greek yoghurt is up by 56 per cent. Egg whites, sold by the likes of MuscleFood, ready-separated and in liquid form, are becoming increasingly popular since the obsessives clocked on to them being naturally rich in the P-word.

Products with added protein are popular among gym-goers wanting to build muscle and people seeking to lose weight by feeling fuller for longer, but some brands are hiking the price of products that often contain only a tiny bit more. The trend started in the late 2010s and is linked to the growing popularity of plant-based protein, such as soy, lentils, quinoa, chickpeas, tofu, and foods made from peas, hemp and edamame.

Next to the crisps in the snack aisle, the shelves are now stacked with roasted chickpeas, cheese bites and beef jerky, all claiming to be superfoods because they contain protein. An array of high-protein alternatives has appeared alongside the low-fat and low-sugar foods in the supermarket. Dairy sections are packed with skyr – thick Icelandic yoghurt with a mild, tangy flavour – and kefir, a fermented yoghurt that tastes faintly of battery acid. High-protein diets are now mainstream, urged upon us by food and fitness influencers alike, making it trendy to look strong rather than skinny.

TikTok and Instagram are inundated with protein-centric recipes; maximising protein is morphing into a fad on social media. Even coffee and desserts are being proteined up, along with post-workout smoothies.

Perhaps the secret of protein’s success is that it doesn’t come with the same kind of stigma attached as carbohydrates and fat. But did you know that many people are now eating too much of it, which can actually make you fat? Excessive protein can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney damage and osteoporosis. It is supposed to give you loads of energy and keep you lean. But here’s the rub: the body has no way of storing protein, so it ends up being converted into carbohydrate and fat.

So next time you pick up a packet of pork scratchings, enjoy every last crumb of that delicious, fatty, salty pork product, washed down with a pint or two of Guinness (which contains approximately 1.9 grams of protein), and kid yourself that it’s all very good for you.