When Americans sit down to their Thanksgiving dinners this week, they probably aren’t thinking about the protein content of the turkey. But watching food trends, it certainly seems as though they’re considering protein most of the rest of the time. Whether viewing the exhibits at Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo last month or just taking a stroll through the grocery store, I can see that protein is a hot topic right now. Many popular diet plans encourage higher protein intake. And even if consumers have a hard time following through on the overall diet plan, many people are getting the message that protein intake is important. Protein is added to products as diverse as pasta and snack bars, and foods and beverages that naturally contain protein, such as dairy products, are touting it. Dairy proteins, including whey, casein and their derivatives, have been used for years as a source of high-quality protein for other products. Now standardized dairy products are making claims about the protein that is either naturally occurring or added.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt itself has been a hot trend for the past few years, and the protein trend helps the popularity of these products. Many Greek yogurts naturally contain about twice as much protein as regular yogurt, and they often make claims about this in their labeling and advertising.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is an old favorite that can benefit from the protein craze. As a high protein food that is often low fat or fat free, cottage cheese can be a great option for an afternoon snack or a high-protein breakfast.

Fluid Milk

There are a number of high-protein drinks, mostly water or juice-based, with protein ingredients added. However, with the naturally occurring protein present in dairy foods, regular standardized milk can make claims about protein. And with the addition of some dairy ingredients, the protein content of milk can be boosted further so that additional protein claims can be made. In fact, some milks are formulated to provide enough protein to function as a recovery beverage. Have you seen increased interest from your customers about higher-protein products or products that make protein claims?