Puddings and certain breads are also promoted as "sources of protein," and protein-enriched products like Kindershake and Teen Balance are specifically designed to appeal to a young people — and it appears to be working. In a representative survey of almost 1,000 parents by the University of Michigan in 2024, just under half said their children, who were aged 13 to 17, had consumed protein products over the previous year. The survey found that boys were more likely to do so than girls, especially in connection with sport, or to build muscle.
Girls took them to balance their diet, and to lose weight. According to the statistics portal Statista, between March 2024 and March 2025 the fitness protein product market in Germany recorded a huge jump of around 25% in retail revenue. Proteins are key building blocks for our metabolism.
They play an important role in building up and repairing tissue in our muscles, skin and organs. Proteins are the basis for the formation of enzymes that regulate chemical reactions in the body, and of antibodies that are vital for our immune system. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), healthy adults should consume 0.8 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight.
A woman weighing 65 kilos should eat 52 grams of protein per day, for example. But they can do this without special protein products. A portion of oat flakes with an almond drink for breakfast, a baked potato with curd cheese for lunch, and two slices of wholemeal bread with peanut butter in the evening — objective achieved.
Young people should consume a little more, as they are still growing. For them, the formula is 0.9 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. A teenager weighing 45 kilos should therefore eat 40.5 grams of protein per day.
People over 65 and children aged one to four should have a little more: one gram of protein per kilo of body weight. Older people tend to eat too little protein, often because their appetite decreases. But a study done in Germany between 2015 and 2017 showed that children and young people there often consume too much.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
