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# How Protein Obsession Created a New Junk Food Category
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/how-protein-obsession-created-a-new-junk-food-category/
- Published: 2026-07-24T16:13:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-24T16:13:36.000Z
- Description: The protein-fortification trend has spawned thousands of heavily processed products—protein bars, yogurts, snacks—that are nutritionally equivalent to candy but marketed as health foods.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, consumer behavior, attention economy, trust

Source: [Michael Easter](https://open.substack.com/pub/michaeleaster/p/misleading-protein-claims)

The protein-fortification trend has spawned thousands of heavily processed products—protein bars, yogurts, snacks—that are nutritionally equivalent to candy but marketed as health foods. What began as a legitimate response to protein deficiency in Western diets has become a vehicle for food manufacturers to rebrand calorie-dense, sugar-laden products at premium prices. The expansion is real: 4,505 new launches in five years. The gap between that growth and actual nutritional benefit reveals how effectively wellness narratives can override basic food science in driving purchasing behavior.