Thoda munchies, thoda muscles: Are protein snacks really healthy?

A scoop of ice cream and bag of chips mdash is this you cheating on your diet or going one step further to meet your protein quotaUntil very recently ldquoproteinrdquo used to be something just the gym bros talked about bragging about how much whey powder they were packing into their smoothies Suddenly itrsquos become the new buzzword and one can spot it everywhere mdash in yoghurt cookies cereal and even mocktails Everyone and their mother is talking about protein and how to maximise it But why is thatTurns out Indians are perennially proteindeficient Vegetarian or nonvegetarian it doesnrsquot matter A 2018 study by global market research firm Ipsos found that 84 per cent of Indian vegetarian diets and 65 per cent of nonvegetarian diets are proteindeficientRanveer Singh has started his own protein bars stepping into the health supplement industry Neither is this limited to small towns and villages A 2017 survey by the Indian Market Research Bureau found that 73 per cent of urban rich Indians across seven cities are proteindeficient and 93 per cent are unaware about their daily protein requirementsWith the postCOVID boom in health awareness though a lot more people are aware of the need for macronutrients such as protein and how severely most of us are lacking it All the same not everyone can afford the protein powders that gym bros and professional athletes swear by And thatrsquos why proteinboosted snacks have become popular Theyrsquore affordable little doses of protein that go well with your evening chai or make for a postmeal dessert like the latest launch by a major Indian dairy brand mdash a protein kulfiWhile therersquos no ldquomad rushrdquo for this new protein munchies market say dieticians nutritionists and wellness trainers they all agree that they have seen a surge in clients asking about themArjun Garewal Fiona Sampat and Kamna DesaildquoThere are two categories of people who are asking about it the 20something healthaware person and the older working adult for whom this is a great alternative to the 5orsquoclock munchiesrdquo says Fiona Sampat a clinical dietician at Kokilaben HospitalAlthough the protein snack is the better of the two evils people must exercise caution and not overdo it says Sampat ldquoI often see that people do not read what these lsquohealthy snacksrsquo comprise It may be better than the generic potato chips but it happens to be loaded with trans fats sugars and artificial ingredients which might negate the original purpose altogetherrdquo she cautionsWhile none of the brands have ever claimed to be free of carbs fat or gluten they do promise to have these components in lower percentages than the regular version of the snack A proteinchip company for example does claim its chips have lower fat percentage than regular chipsShwetha Bhatia a registered dietician with a penchant for training hard in the gym has a little more faith in the common man especially with the fitness revolution India has seen since the pandemic ldquoYou do not want to undo the work you put in at the gym because you didnrsquot read the label right Right now there are very few people who go for chips or ice cream to get their protein PostCOVID there is acute consumer awareness and people read packaging labels and also consult experts like merdquo says BhatialdquoBut yes therersquos also an appeal to such snacks If you do want to indulge in a packet of chips eating one with more protein would be better as long as you understand that it may still come with other unhealthy ingredients The price point seems to be the biggest deterrent mdash these chips are expensive so theyrsquore not replacements for food protein and protein supplementsrdquo she addsFor example a 37 g packet of protein chips costs anything between R40 to 50 while our favourite creamandonion potato chips 48 g comes at the grand price of Rs 20It started with protein paneer ushering in an era of protein snacks says trainer Arjun Garewal ldquoBrands have been smart and taken advantage of the fact that todayrsquos Indian is more proteinconscious than ever before I feel some brands though are basically selling confectionery with lowquality protein as healthy snacks A chocolate bar with added protein is not healthyrdquo he saysThe average ldquohealthy snackerrdquo does not have a balanced diet in general he says ldquoOn average your diet should be around 80 to 85 per cent healthy the rest comprise indulgences but usually we see that itrsquos the other way around And for nongymgoers the protein snacks will have zero advantagerdquo he addsFor those among Garewalrsquos clientele who are really insistent he does recommend a few options ldquoThere are some brands that are actually good even the ones that make ice cream They might have an artificial sweetener mdash which is a whole other argument mdash but anything is better than sugar I think itrsquos important to know which brand is just adding protein to sugar and selling itrdquo he addsSenior dietician Kamna Desai has seen over 23 years of fad diets over the course of her career and says it all boils down to one thing ultra processed food ldquoHighprotein chips or ice cream may appear as tempting and convenient options to reach daily protein requirements But they fall under the ultraprocessed foods category which often contain a long list of additives like colours flavours artificial sweeteners and preservatives along with abnormally high levels of added sugars salt and unhealthy fats Ultraprocessed foods are definitely not healthyrdquo says DesaiShe also believes that the hardtoresist nature of junk food is something that the consumer should always have at the back of their mind ldquoThey may not offer any significant nutritional benefits beyond just a few extra grams of protein but that comes along with loads of unwanted chemicals Itrsquos critically important for consumers to read the labels on such foods and understand the pros and cons Chips and ice cream can be easily over consumed leading to excess calories and potential negative health effects Itrsquos important to consider these new tech foods within the context of a balanced diet rather than going overboard with their consumptionrdquo she addsTLDR Yes your worst nightmare is true You cannot gorge on chips and skip the treadmilllsquoPricey but handyrsquoBalram VishwakarmaBalram Vishwakarma CoFounder of digital marketing agency Scroll Back Studios says ldquoI have this ritual of what protein I will focus on this week It started as an experiment a few months ago but when I began posting online people would ask me lsquowhat nextrsquo and so it took on a life of its own I have had protein powders buttermilk and loved one brandrsquos blueberry shake I think these proteinonthego snacks are great because its better to binge on that instead of something harmful The only pain seems to be the price point but when itrsquos a busy day these protein foods come in extremely handyrdquoHow much protein do we really needFor men 08 grams per kilogram of body weight 56 grams of protein per day right For women 08 grams per kilogram of body weight or 036 grams per pound approximately 46 grams of protein per day8437of Indian vegetarians are proteindeficient6537of Indian nonvegetarians are proteindeficient9037of Indians are unaware of the daily requirement of proteinSources Ipsos and Indian Market Research BureauatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params