Research & Reports
Original analysis built from the Labelgrade catalog of 192+ graded branded foods. Every figure is verified against USDA FoodData Central and scored on our transparent six-dimension methodology. These reports are free to cite with attribution — see each report for details.
The State of Packaged Protein 2026
We graded 192 branded "high-protein" packaged foods on six nutrition dimensions. Only about 1 in 13 earned a top A-tier grade. Cheese and jerky scored worst; canned tuna is the most calorie-efficient protein on the shelf; and the worst sodium-per-gram-of-protein offenders cost you 40× more sodium than plain Greek yogurt for the same protein. Full category rankings, superlatives, and methodology.
The Hidden Added Sugar in "High-Protein" Foods
USDA's database omits the "added sugars" line on roughly half of the branded protein foods we graded — so a clean-looking sugar number often hides cane sugar, syrup, or honey near the top of the ingredient list. We found which products are sweetened behind a blank field, the highest-sugar offenders, the categories that sneak in the most, and the categories that carry none. Plus how we re-grade to count it.
The Most (and Least) Processed High-Protein Foods
"High in protein" says nothing about how processed a food is. We counted the ingredients and flagged the additives in every product we grade — lists run from 1 ingredient to 40+, and most carry at least one flagged additive. The most-processed shakes, bars, and frozen meals vs. the cleanest whole-food proteins (canned fish, eggs, plain dairy), plus ingredient count by category.
The Saltiest (and Least Salty) High-Protein Foods
A "high-protein" label tells you nothing about the salt that comes with it. We measured sodium per gram of protein across every product we grade — the saltiest carry roughly 15× the sodium of the cleanest for the same protein. Jerky and meat sticks, deli and cured meats, canned soups, and sauced frozen meals top the board; eggs, plain dairy, and no-salt-added fish sit at the bottom. Worst single-serving offenders, cleanest picks, and sodium-per-protein by category.
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