The coronavirus pandemic has caused many changes to occur in business. One change is that meetings and seminars are now frequently virtual. I recently presented as part of a webinar on “Protein Snacks Reimagined” by Food Ingredients 1st and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. I enjoy working with the U.S. dairy industry, as I’m a big fan of dairy and of optimal protein in the diet. Here are a few tips from my webinar.
ALL PROTEINS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. A few of my friends are vegetarian or vegan. Vegan diets may have lower protein quality, a reflection of less favorable amino acid profiles and bioavailability. Combining dairy and cereal proteins can optimize protein quality and cost. Combining adequate amounts of dairy proteins with plant proteins makes vegetarian and flexitarian diets more nutritious. Most consumers don’t have the knowledge or time to carefully combine plant proteins to optimize protein quality, but adding dairy to their diet fills the gap, makes good nutrition simple, and gives them the confidence that they are consuming high quality protein.
PROTEIN APPEALS TO A WIDE RANGE OF CONSUMERS. Yesterday’s protein bars were targeted to serious athletes, whose primary focus was to consume maximum protein before and after exercise to fuel hungry muscles. Today’s protein snacks appeal to a wide range of health conscious consumers of all ages. Their priorities range from unique flavors to convenient on-the-go nutrition. Their health focus might be low sugar, balanced nutrition, or meeting a target protein level at each meal or throughout the day.
SMALLER PORTIONS AND UNIQUE TEXTURES ARE TODAY’S TRENDS. Protein balls, bites, and minis provide an opportunity for marrying health, premium indulgence, and bite size convenience while experimenting with different consumer-appealing flavors and fun textures. They are the perfect vehicle to capitalize on “The Right Bite” and “Tapping Into Texture,” 2 of the top 10 trends Innova Market Insights has identified for 2020.
DAIRY PROTEINS OFFER UNIQUE HEALTH ADVANTAGES. In addition to containing all of the essential and non-essential amino acids, dairy proteins are the richest source of leucine, which kick starts muscle synthesis. Dairy proteins also play an important role in weight management and improving body composition. Dairy proteins promote muscle health – not only by building muscle, but also by improving the response to exercise and injury recovery, and by helping reduce the risk of sarcopenia, the age related loss of muscle. This is especially important to me as I want to stay healthy and active for many years to come!
