Ello,
I’ve had it.
If I see one more beloved carb source, bagels, wraps, cereal, even crumpets, with a big ‘HIGH PROTEIN’ badge slapped on the label, I’m gonna lose it 😭
It’s getting ridiculous.
Crisps
Bagels
Wraps
Bread
Pancakes
Pizza
Even fucking Weetabix
Apparently, everything is a protein food now.
I’m sick of it. Leave them alone for Christ's sake 😂
It’s a marketing trick, and it’s working on you
Legally, for something to be classed as “high protein” in the UK, 20% of the calories have to come from protein.
That means a 500-calorie pizza just needs 25g of protein in it.
Sounds decent, right?
Until you realise:
That’s the same protein you’d get from 100g of chicken breast (but with triple the calories)
Most of that “protein” is from whey blends, cheap dairy, or if it’s plant-based, pea, hemp or chickpea flour (aka incomplete protein)
You’re spending more money for the same carb-heavy junk food with a splash of powdered protein thrown in
This isn’t smart eating. This is just smart marketing.
Before you waste £3.50 on protein cereal, look at this
Plant based protein vs animal based protein.
Here is you see protein content of vegan food is generally lower, so protein bagels may influence their daily protein intake more.
But if you're already eating meat and dairy, you don’t need your wraps, crisps, cereal and fucking Weetabix to have 5g of incomplete protein slapped on the front like it’s some sort of macro miracle.
That extra “protein” means fuck all.
You’re paying more money, for higher calories, worse protein, and a label that tricks you into thinking you’re being ‘healthy’ 😬
If you want a bagel, have a bagel. You don’t need to pretend it’s chicken breast 🍗
For vegans? Fair enough. For everyone else? Don’t bother.
If you’re plant-based and struggling to hit your protein target, cool — a high protein flatbread might help you out.
But if you’re already eating meat, eggs, dairy, fish?
You’re not getting any real benefit here.
✅ The protein quality is lower
✅ The calorie trade-off is worse
✅ It’s more expensive
✅ You could just eat an actual source of protein instead 🤷♂️
What should you actually do then?
If you’re trying to hit a protein target, stop relying on carb foods to do it.
Focus on proper protein sources:
🥩 Lean meats
🥚 Eggs
🍗 Poultry
🧀 Dairy
🐟 Fish
🫘 Tofu or tempeh if you’re veggie
So leave the bagels alone and enjoy them for what they really are. A delicious carb source 🙌
You don’t need to pay 40% more for one that has 4g of pea protein chucked into the dough 🤦♂
Save your money. Eat proper food. Don’t fall for the packaging.
It’s not that protein’s bad.
It’s just… marketing has turned it into a buzzword.
And the more health becomes trendy, the more brands are gonna slap it on every label and hope you don’t read the back of the pack.
Cheers,
Sheep 🐏
P.S.
If your idea of nutrition is just buying stuff that says “protein” on the label, I can help with that 😂
My 1:1 coaching gives you structure, teaches you what actually matters, and takes the guesswork out of this stuff.
You don’t need a protein pancake. You just need a proper plan.