Soy Protein in Snacks

As the number of hours available each day seem to be less and less, more snacks are being consumed in place of traditional meals by consumers ranging from millennials to baby boomers. Snacking and eating more frequently has become more socially acceptable.

According to Nutraceuticals World, “three quarters of global respondents (76%) eat snacks often or to satisfy their hunger between meals or to satisfy a craving, and 45% of global respondents consume snacks as a meal alternative –52% for breakfast, 43% for lunch and 40% for dinner”.

Food manufacturers are rushing to capitalize on this trend and are looking to develop healthy and convenient snacks. Consumers have an increased awareness of the benefits of plant based proteins, including soy protein.

Soy protein is an economical and high quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids. It offers a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.0. This means it is a complete protein.

Soy proteins for snacks are available as isolate or concentrate powders or as nuggets. They offer tremendous versatility in snack formulations which can contain from 1 g to 30 g protein per serving. These snacks can be in the form of bars, bites or cereals. This matches the FDA labeling guidelines:

“25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of (name of food) provides ____ grams of soy protein.”

The FDA health claim for soy protein recommends that consumers incorporate four servings of at least 6.25 grams of soy protein into their daily diet, for a total of at least 25 grams of soy protein each day.

Let us know if you have any questions regarding snack applications involving soy proteins and we will be happy to help.