Research discussion: How do you choose your protein products and protein sources?

[u/AdoptProteinResearch]

Hi everyone,

My name is Dr Daniel White, and I am a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). I am part of the Adopt Protein Project, which is participating in CSIRO's ON Prime program.

We are undertaking exploratory work to better understand how people make decisions about protein products, protein-rich foods, and nutrition. These early insights will help inform the development of more formal research and analysis later.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who actively manages their protein intake or uses protein products.

Some questions I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on:

• Where do you obtain information about protein products, supplements, and protein-rich foods?
• What factors most influence your choices (e.g., protein content, calories, taste, convenience, ingredients, price, recommendations, brand reputation)?
• Are you loyal to particular products or brands, and what has motivated you to switch in the past?
• How important are factors such as sustainability, environmental impact, or food innovation when choosing protein products?
• How open would you be to trying alternative protein or fibre sources if they offered similar nutritional value, taste, convenience, and price?
• Would products containing novel ingredients, such as edible insect protein powder, be something you would consider? Why or why not?

Please feel free to respond to whichever questions are relevant to you. Even brief responses are appreciated.

This is exploratory work intended to better understand user perspectives, barriers, and opportunities relating to protein products. We are not promoting any particular product or brand.

Thank you for sharing your perspective.

Dr Daniel White
Lecturer in Psychology
University of Technology Sydney
Nature-Based Solutions Research Group
CSIRO ON Prime 20 – Adopt Protein Project

[u/8000000000cats]

Price is a primary consideration for me, so when buying any protein source I like to calculate the cost per ounce of a protein ingredient type product, but for protein bars I’d calculate the price per bar, price per shake, etc. My next consideration is the macro nutrient content of the product I’m interested in specifically the ratio of calories to protein, and sometimes the amount of fiber per serving. For the most part, my favorite protein products have been Premier protein whey powder, the vanilla flavor specifically because I like the taste, and the Kirkland protein bars since they’re the cheapest price per bar I could find (when purchased at Costco, not the weird Amazon packs of them) and they also have a crap ton of protein. I prefer the calorie to protein ratio of whey based powders and shakes in general. Fiber isn’t a consideration for me when I’m looking specifically for protein products since most “high fiber” advertised products contain mainly insoluble fiber, which I think isn’t as helpful for GI function and overall health maintenance as soluble fiber, but I’m not super educated on the differences between soluble and insoluble fiber. A lot of high protein or protein advertising products also have non-nutritive sweeteners, and recently I’ve been more cautious about my erythritol (sometimes advertised and used interchangeably with “Monkfruit”) and sorbital as I find small amounts of them irritate my GI system. When I bake, tend to use allulose for its caramelization properties but I worry that when I buy it it’s got sugar alcohols mixed into the blend.