grain. Ice cream. Flavored sparkling water. Snickers bar. Donuts and brownies. candy.
What sounds like a treat table at a kids' birthday party is a list of snacks that have actually been found to be packed with protein.
Next week, reality TV star and entrepreneur Khloe Kardashian will add her Khloud protein popcorn to her list. Her popcorn comes in three different flavors, white cheddar, olive oil, sea salt and sweet and salty. According to a statement from Khloud Foods, it contains 7 grams of protein, derived from the popcorn “Khloud Dust,” which is derived from popcorn “Khloud Dust.”
“I've always been a snack bar and I'm always looking for options that are convenient, healthy and actually taste good,” Kardashian said in an email. Along with Khloud, Kardashian added that she wanted to check out those boxes and make snacks that are “something you feel like you're sharing with family and friends.”
The introduction of Khloud Popcorn, announced by Kardashian on social media this week, is in line with a wider food trend. Jonathan Germany, a professor of Culinary Arts and Sciences at Drexel University, calls it a snack, or dessert, or essentially a “proteinization” of “everything.” The brand wants to capture a growing consumer demand for proteins driven primarily by social media.
A trend report by Cargill, a company that sours and processes ingredients from food manufacturers, shows that 61% of consumers surveyed want to increase their protein intake in 2024.
Dr. Lisa Young, a nutrition consultant and nutritional aid professor at New York University, said the trend was also attributed to increased use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Munjaro. People who use weight loss medications report loss of muscle mass as well as loss of appetite. This means you might try to pack as many proteins as possible into the smallest of your eating protein.
But Dr. Young added that even people who use GLP-1 drugs only need more protein than adults' recommended amounts, which is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. People on weight loss pills, and those who work hard like weight training, are advised to photograph 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight.
Protein-rich snacks could also fall into the ultra-processed food category, she added.
From a marketing perspective, Germany said there are only three macronutrients that the food industry can target in its new product line. Fats, carbohydrates, protein.
“They don't have 'fat popcorn' so they don't have 'carb extra popcorn' either,” he said. “It leaves one macronutrient, right?”
According to Deutsche, “as God made,” apples, popcorn, or even a glass of water, could be considered the ideal snack for most people.
