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How much protein is in products named "protein"?

5,620 packaged products put "protein" in their name. Their median is 15.0 g of protein per serving; 4,644 (83%) reach 10 g, FDA's "high in protein" line before its protein-quality correction, and 99 (2%) have under 5 g, below even a "good source". In cookies, 58% reach 10 g.

Published · By · the rules are cited to FDA and USDA, the figures computed from USDA FoodData Central (April 30, 2026 release)

83% of products named "protein" have 10 g per serving; cookies the fewest

Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%Products named "protein" with 10 g or more per serving, by aisleProtein bars86%Protein shakes93%Cereal60%Cookies58%Chips79%Yogurt92%Frozen meals92%Juice71%Granola bars84%Snack cakes75%Peanut butter63%all 83%
Per labeled serving; 10 g is 20% of the 50 g Daily Value (21 CFR 101.54(b)). USDA FoodData Central branded foods.

Source: USDA FoodData Central branded foods, April 30, 2026 release; products that meet the site's data contract, one per UPC.

By aisle

AisleProducts named "protein"Median protein per serving10 g or moreUnder 5 g
Protein bars1,70514.0 g1,470 (86%)19 (1%)
Protein shakes58220.0 g544 (93%)1 (0%)
Cereal13610.0 g81 (60%)6 (4%)
Cookies12910.0 g75 (58%)7 (5%)
Chips8515.0 g67 (79%)0 (0%)
Yogurt6115.0 g56 (92%)3 (5%)
Frozen meals5116.0 g47 (92%)0 (0%)
Juice3412.0 g24 (71%)0 (0%)
Granola bars3210.0 g27 (84%)4 (13%)
Snack cakes2814.0 g21 (75%)0 (0%)
Peanut butter2711.0 g17 (63%)0 (0%)

Method and limits

A product counts when the word "protein" appears in its name as submitted to USDA (not in the ingredients). Protein per serving is the value per 100 g times the declared serving. FDA lets a label say "high in protein" at 20% of the Daily Value (10 g) per reference amount and "good source" at 10% (5 g), 21 CFR 101.54, counting protein after its quality correction (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)), which USDA's records do not carry: the counts here are an upper bound. Whether a name that uses the word "protein" is itself a nutrient content claim is a question under FDA's rules on implied claims (21 CFR 101.13(b)(2)); we count the grams the label declares and do not judge whether any label complies. Aisles with fewer than 20 such products are left out of the aisle table but counted in the total.

Download: the table as CSV (CC BY 4.0: reuse it with a link to this page).

Sources for this page
USDA FoodData Central
the food and product records, April 30, 2026 release. fdc.nal.usda.gov
FoodData Central documentation
what each data type is and how branded records are submitted. fdc.nal.usda.gov
21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food
the label format, rounding and Daily Values. ecfr.gov
21 CFR 101 subpart D, Nutrient content claims
the thresholds for "low sodium", "sugar free", "high in". ecfr.gov
FDA, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule. fda.gov