Tofu is the winner
Consumers are increasingly confronted with conflicting
information surrounding how much protein they should have and which protein
sources are healthiest, most sustainable, and best value for money. Cambridge
research has uncovered the truth.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
What are the best sources of protein?
In a paper published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems,
Dr. Chris Macdonald explored the best sources of protein currently available.
To answer the question, Macdonald had to build a new
holistic scoring system that combines measures of environmental impact, health,
affordability and availability into a single framework.
Applying the scoring system to 20 commonly consumed
protein-rich foods, the analysis found a striking pattern: every product in the
highest-scoring quintile was plant-based, while every product in the
lowest-scoring quintile was animal-based. Tofu ranked first overall, while
cheddar cheese ranked last.
The paper argues that many existing food rating systems focus on only one aspect of a product. While useful, these single-dimension labels can obscure important trade-offs and make it difficult to compare foods comprehensively.
Two bar charts comparing greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution produced by plant-based and animal-based protein sources per 100 g of protein. Credit: Chris Macdonald
As noted in the paper, "Against deliberate corporate
obfuscation and marketing myths, the goal of a holistic score is not to create
a new label, but to foster a new literacy, one that empowers us to see the
reality of the systems we are funding.
"Ultimately, beyond the spreadsheets and scores lies a
fundamental reckoning: our protein choice is a referendum on the compassion we
are willing to show to animals, to the planet and to future generations."
Publication details
Chris Macdonald, What are the best sources of protein?
Introducing the BPI Score, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2026).
DOI:
10.3389/fsufs.2026.1677796
Journal information: Frontiers
in Sustainable Food Systems