Canadians seek new sources of protein amid rising cost of meat

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:01]Demand for protein-fortified products may be up for several reasons. A Canadian food expert says meat counter economics could be pushing some customers away.

[00:00:13]All three components of the meat trifecta are more expensive right now, chicken, pork, and and beef.

[00:00:20]Which is rare. It's actually uncommon to see that. He says as of April year-over-year the data shows beef has increased about 14%, chicken eight, and pork 9%. Other factors, Charlotte Bourassa says. Over 3 million people in Canada are now on a GLP-1 medication to lose weight, and and those people will actually seek protein way more. And so, and of course there are TikTok trends pushing younger consumers to look for cottage cheese and and different protein sources. A registered sports dietitian in Nova Scotia calls protein's promotion a great idea. Helping Canadians meet their overall protein needs. If you're active, your protein needs go up. And as we age, we know we have what we call sarcopenia, which is that loss of muscle mass. But is all protein created equal?

[00:01:16]When you're getting a protein added to, you know, a comparable product that is low normally in protein, you're still not getting all those other added vitamins and minerals that you would be getting normally from a whole protein food source, like eggs, like beef. She says it's best to check the ingredients.

[00:01:34]Incomplete proteins are more of our plant-based proteins. So, those are things like pea, right? And hemp, and those types of added products or added ingredients. And when it comes to how much of this essential nutrient is enough, well, according to Health Canada guidelines, the average adult needs around 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. For example, for someone who weighs around 155 lbs, that's about 56 g of protein. Fiber is expected to have its moment next. But we're not there yet. We're still into proteins and that's I I think it's going to last for a while until probably fall winter. Skye Bryden-Blom, Global News, Halifax.