Protein Bars Might Be Sabotaging Your Gym Gains

Key points

• Front-of-package health claims like high-protein or low-carb often disguise ultra-processed ingredient lists.
• Industrial processing destroys the natural food matrix, reducing chew time and disrupting natural satiety signals.
• Restaurant operators rely on pre-packaged ultra-processed components to control back-of-house labor costs.
• Nutritional science is shifting from counting calories to evaluating the degree of food processing.

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Sources and methodology

Reported from the public datasets below.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - Consumer Price Index, food away from home
• Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) - Food services and drinking places series
• U.S. Census Bureau - Monthly Retail Trade, food services

All sources Foodie Pundit reports from

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