Protein Labels…are WRONG?!?

EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU.

Alright, alright, I’m being dramatic. :)

But there is a reality check you need to have.

When we look at a food label that says it has 20g of protein, we assume that it is exactly 20g of protein.

However, this isn’t really the case.

It’s an estimation, not direct measurement, according to a study by Pferdmenges et al, 2025.

Most food companies identify how much nitrogen is in the food, and then put that into an equation to estimate protein content.

It’s cheaper, it’s quicker, but it’s an indirect measure (instead of performing amino acid analysis), meaning there is a much greater likelihood of error.

Food companies tend to do the same with their calorie estimations as well.

In the US, companies are legally allowed a 20% margin of error on their calorie labels. In other words, a food with 200 calories per serving may be anywhere from 160-240 calories.

What’s more, many restaurants are very inaccurate in calculating the calorie content of their foods, too. On average, there can be up to 18% more calories than stated, with one restaurant reaching 245% above the stated amount (Urban et al, 2010)!!

I’m a numbers guy, but even that makes my head spin! 

******

But wait…the silver lining!

Most studies that seek to quantify appropriate calorie and protein intakes are using these exact same foods with these exact same estimated food labels.

So even if you’re working from an estimation and not a hard truth, don’t worry, because so are the people setting the health standards.

So it ends up a wash.

******

So what should Christians do in response to this?

Don’t panic. Perfection is not the goal.

****God foods are always superior. Meaning, things that He’s been making from the beginning: meats, grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, etc.

Single ingredient foods (whole foods) are the most likely to have the highest credibility in terms of tracking your food. I would assume by now we know how many calories and protein are in 4 ounces of chicken breast…

****Specifically, for protein, look to eat as many “real protein foods” and rely less on “foods with protein as an ingredient.” Slam the chicken, eggs, fish, milk, and Greek yogurt before the protein bars, protein pasta, protein pancakes, etc.

Then, since packaged foods and restaurant foods are making up only a minority of your diet, the details of the error won’t matter nearly as much.

Hope this helps you have greater success and consistency in achieving your health goals!