Every year, I attend the largest natural food expo in the world out in California.

As a food scientist, nutritionist, and food entrepreneur, this is where I go to see where the industry is headed. Thousands of brands. Thousands of people. Every major trend shows up there before it hits your grocery store.

And this year, one thing was impossible to ignore.

Everything… had protein added to it.

I’m talking:

• protein pasta sauce

• protein candy

• protein water

• protein gum

Basically, anything you normally eat — whether it ever needed protein or not — now suddenly has it.

And walking that floor, I kept asking myself:

When did we decide everything needs protein?

👉 Try a smarter high-protein snack instead
 (20g plant protein, clean ingredients, no gimmicks)

 

What’s Really Going On

Don’t get me wrong — protein is essential.

As someone who’s spent years studying nutrition and working with athletes, I can tell you:

• protein supports muscle

• helps with satiety

• and plays a real role in metabolic health

That part is real.

But what I saw at the expo wasn’t about nutrition. It was about marketing.

Consumers today are obsessed with protein — and brands know it. So instead of solving real nutritional problems, many companies are just adding protein to anything they can so they can put “high protein” on the label.

It grabs attention. It sells. But it doesn’t necessarily make the product better.

 

The Question Nobody Is Asking

Here’s the question I think we should be asking:

Do we actually need protein in all these foods? Does your pasta sauce need protein Does your candy need protein? Or are we just being trained to chase a number on a label?

Because the truth is, most people aren’t struggling to get protein into their diet.

What they are struggling with… is something else entirely.

 

The Snack Problem Nobody Talks About

The biggest nutritional gap I’ve seen over the years isn’t meals.

It’s snacks.

Most snacks in America today are:

• fried

• high in refined carbs

• loaded with sugar

• and low in real nutrition

They’re engineered to taste good — not to fuel your body.

This is where high protein snacks, clean snacks, and fitness snacks actually matter.

Not in your pasta sauce. In your everyday choices.

 

👉 Upgrade your snack game (without the junk)
 Baked • Plant-based • Low sugar • Actually tastes good

 

Why I Built Pnuff

When I created Pnuff Crunch, it wasn’t about jumping on a trend.

It was actually the opposite. I didn’t want to take a junk food and sprinkle protein into it.

I wanted to build something from the ground up — a true protein rich snack — that was:

• naturally high in protein

• made from real ingredients

• low sugar

• baked, not fried

• and something you’d actually crave

We used peanuts as the base, combined with plant ingredients, to create a plant based protein snack that delivers real nutrition.

The goal was simple: create one of the few healthy snacks that actually checks all the boxes — taste, nutrition, and simplicity.

 

What the Science Actually Says About Protein Timing

Now, let’s bring this back to reality.

Protein does matter — especially if you:

• work out

• want to build or maintain muscle

• or are trying to stay full and manage weight

For people focused on performance, protein snacks for fitness and protein snacks for gym sessions do serve a real purpose.

There is a smart way to think about it:

• Pre-workout: light fuel — think protein snacks for gym that include protein and carbs

• Post-workout: great to have some protein within 2 hours

• Between meals: choosing low calorie protein snacks or even low carb snacks can help stabilize hunger and energy, and continue to help the muscle maintenance and muscle building process

 

My Take on Protein Maxxing

The idea of prioritizing protein? That makes sense. But what I saw at that expo is something different. It’s not protein optimization. It’s protein maxxing taken to the extreme — driven more by marketing than actual need.

So here’s my advice:

Don’t chase protein on every label
Don’t assume “high protein” means healthy
Focus on real, whole food-based clean eating snacks

If you’re going to optimize anything… Start with your snacks.

 

👉 If you’re going to “maxx” anything… start here
Real ingredients. Real protein. Real results

 

The Bottom Line

You don’t need protein in your pasta sauce.

You don’t need protein in your candy.

What you need is a smarter approach to what you eat every day — especially in those in-between moments where most people go wrong.

That’s where protein rich snacks, clean snacks, and real healthy snacks can actually make a difference.

 

About Dr. Juan Salinas

Dr. Juan Salinas is a PhD in Food Science, sports nutritionist, and founder of Pnuff Crunch. With over 20 years of experience developing snack products for major food companies—and as an entrepreneur who built his brand from the ground up and pitched it on Shark Tank—he brings both scientific expertise and real-world experience to the conversation around nutrition and healthy snacking.

Shop P-Nuff Crunch and discover the smarter way to snack.