Not even Kraft macaroni and cheese is safe from the added protein craze

You put up dictate a high-protein common cold fizz from Starbucks, or a protein-packed latte from Tim Hortons. You can pour high-protein milk over high-protein Cheerios and polish it off with a protein-packed Pop-Tart.

Heck, you can even snack on protein-enriched Doritos.

If it seems like the protein craze is everywhere, that's because, well, it is. And now, even your beloved bowl of boxed macaroni and cheese is bulking up.

Kraft Heinz has just announced it's launching a high-protein mac and cheese called PowerMac that delivers 17 grams of protein and six grams of fibre per serving. It will roll out in April in the U.S., in the two flavours KD lovers know and love: orange and white (or, original and white cheddar).

"As a consumer-obsessed brand, we developed PowerMac for consumers who want more from their everyday meals without compromising on great taste," Ashleigh Edmonds, senior marketing director for Kraft Mac & Cheese, said in a news release Tuesday.

It took nearly a year for Kraft Heinz to develop its "proprietary protein-and fibre-enriched pasta," which uses pea protein, the news release notes, adding that it still uses the same powdered cheese so as to not sacrifice taste.

But while many fans have expressed excitement online about PowerMac, and online reviewers swear it tastes the same (although the noodles are evidently firmer and denser), nutrition experts are warning consumers not to think of the ultra-processed food as "healthy."

"It doesn’t erase the rest of its nutritional profile — the sodium, saturated fat, and ultra-processed nature still remain — and it risks creating a health halo around a comfort food."

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If you're wondering why we even need extra protein in boxed macaroni flavoured with fluorescent powdered cheese, the answer is we don't, McKendry said.

Yet, as Kraft Heinz makes clear in its announcement, people want it. There's been a surge of offerings in recent years as companies try to appeal to consumers looking for easy ways to add more protein to their diets in pursuit of perceived health benefits.

And this has only been accelerated by the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, as food companies look for ways to market high-protein, low-sugar products for those seeking out smaller, nutrient-rich portions.

Meanwhile, people are promoting recipes like "high-protein cheesy beef potato pockets" to millions of viewers on TikTok, and Instagram influencers swear protein is the secret to losing weight, gaining muscle, easing perimenopause symptoms and maybe even fixing your entire life.

Yes, protein is important, and it does support muscle function and adaptation, McMaster University kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips recently wrote in the Conversation. But more is not always better, the Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health added, saying protein has been "oversold, overvalued and overhyped."

"Beyond a certain point, more protein is simply more protein, not more benefit."

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Sure, there are some benefits to the PowerMac, Sonya Angelone, a former spokesperson for the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a San Francisco-based dietitian, told Food & Wine.

It's quick, convenient, inexpensive and does contain added protein and fibre, she told the magazine. Still, she cautions that needs to be balanced against the product's high level of processing and sodium, and warned the protein's quality isn't as high as what you'd get in whole foods.

To increase protein intake, UBC's McKendry suggests legumes, nuts, dairy, lean meats and eggs. 

Protein has become a powerful selling point on food packaging because companies know consumers associate it with health, McKendry said.

And some populations, in general, can benefit from more of it, he added, such as athletes, older adults, people in a caloric deficit looking to lose body mass, and people on GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.

But, as McKendry notes, these are likely not the same people who would reach for a box of jacked-up mac and cheese.

"Instead, we see high-protein candy bars and mac and cheese aimed at young, health-conscious consumers who likely don't need the extra protein in the first place."

Senior Writer & Editor

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