If you’ve been in a grocery store recently, you may have noticed every food seems to have a variant with additional protein. To me this is really just a fad.

A few of these protein variants include protein popcorn, protein pasta, protein water, protein pop tarts, protein brownies, to name a few.

A majority of these products cost more than the original item, but most people in the United States don’t even need that extra protein.

For example, a 7-pack of protein chips from the brand BariatricPal costs $17.99, whereas an 18-pack of doritos only costs $9.97, according to Walmart’s official website. 

On top of this, the average person in the U.S. already eats 20% more protein than what’s needed, according to a Feb. 12, 2025 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health article.

So if we’re already eating enough protein, why are we paying extra money?

It doesn’t take a genius, or a nutrition major such as myself, to answer this question.

Added protein gives the illusion that a product is “healthy.”

The unfortunate truth is that additional protein does not make a product healthier, it simply increases the protein content. This usually makes it taste worse.

Whether a product has added protein or not, it doesn’t influence the principle that a calorie surplus will cause weight gain, and a calorie deficit will cause weight loss, according to a Sept. 12, 2022 StatPearls article. 

In other words, protein is not healthier than carbohydrates or fat.

With that being said, it’s not an entirely bad idea to buy these protein products if you can spare the money.

Out of the three major macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein and fat – protein is considered the most satiating macronutrient, according to a study from the journal Appetite. 

 So if you are looking to lose weight, it’s not a bad idea to buy one of these protein products as a snack to feel more full.

Another reason to buy protein variants from different products is if you are actively trying to build muscle.

Increasing the amount of protein you eat is beneficial for increasing strength and lean body mass, according to a meta-analysis from the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

So if someone who lifts weights is trying to eat extra protein in a more convenient way than cooking meat, or if they’re vegan or vegetarian, this would be the method.

Until recently, protein products seemed like a niche category of food, whereas now they are becoming more mainstream.

Before this protein craze, a more well-known protein product was protein powder, but this was largely associated with bodybuilders and other health nuts.

Now that we have protein pop tarts and protein popcorn among other things, anyone can have their extra protein if they’re willing to fork out a little bit of extra cash.

However, the question still remains: Are these products actually worth the money? 

My response is: It depends on your diet goals, and if you aren’t part of these specific niches, they probably aren’t worth buying.

In terms of total protein content, meat has more protein for every dollar spent comparatively, and it’s likely more nutrient dense than whatever product you were thinking of trying.

These protein variants may be worth trying for the taste.

If they aren’t to your liking, don’t sweat it, you’re not alone.

At Walmart, you can buy regular fresh chicken breast for an average price of $2.57 per pound, according to Walmart’s website. 

A pound of cooked chicken breast will have around 139 grams of protein, according to Google’s U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition facts tool.

Comparatively, a 12-pack of protein bars from the brand Pure Protein costs $14.88 at Walmart, totaling $1.24 per bar with 21 grams of protein per bar, according to Walmart’s website.

If two bars are roughly the same price as a pound of raw chicken breast, which will lose around 25% of its weight in water after being cooked, then you are getting less than half the protein for the same price, and that’s with a product intended to have high protein content.

At the end of the day, what is most important is that you have an enjoyable and nourishing diet with the necessary nutrients for your body to function properly.