Dairy and eggs
Custard on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 3 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), pouring custard, ready made, for around 100 calories. A small bowl, about 160 g (5.6 oz), gives roughly 5 g of protein for 160 calories.
How custard sits on a GLP-1
Custard is on this list because people ask about it, and they ask because it is one of the few things that still appeals when nothing does: warm or cold, sweet, smooth, and swallowed rather than chewed. What it is not is a protein food. Ready made pouring custard is about 3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), less than milk, because the milk has been thinned with starch and sugar. Enjoy it, and do not count it.
When your appetite is small
Make it work harder. Whisk two heaped tablespoons, about 20 g (0.7 oz), of skim milk powder into a small bowl of custard as you warm it, and the protein goes from about 5 g to about 12 g with no change in volume. Or pour it over something that carries protein: a small bowl of Greek yoghurt with warm custard on top is a real dessert and a real 15 g.
Three ways to prepare it
Warm, with milk powder whisked through
Heat 160 g (5.6 oz) of custard gently and whisk in milk powder. It thickens a little and tastes creamier, not chalkier.
Real egg custard, made at home
Milk, two egg yolks, a little sugar and vanilla, cooked slowly. Home made custard is closer to 5 g per 100 g (3.5 oz) and has no starch in it.
Over stewed fruit with a spoon of ricotta
Warm custard over stewed apple with ricotta on the side. Comfort food with about 12 g of protein on the plate.
What to eat it with
Stewed fruit, a banana, a spoon of ricotta or Greek yoghurt, or a crumbled protein bar for crunch. The pairing is the protein; the custard is the reason the bowl gets eaten.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custard | about 3 g | 100 kcal | this page |
| Protein pudding | about 10 g | 75 kcal | See the page |
| Milk | about 3.5 g | 64 kcal | See the page |
| Greek yoghurt | about 9 g | 95 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, pouring custard, ready made, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Pouring custard in cartons is a supermarket staple in Australia and the UK, alongside custard powder for making it at home. In the US, custard usually means frozen custard, a style of ice cream, and the closest shelf product is pudding, which is similar in protein. The high protein pudding pots have their own page.
Questions people ask
Is custard a good source of protein?
No. Ready made custard is about 3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), so a small bowl is about 5 g. It earns its place as a dessert that gets eaten on a bad day. Whisk milk powder through it or serve it over Greek yoghurt if you want it to count.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.