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- A 2025 study by Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts suggests that “hybrid” proteins — blends of plant-, mushroom-, insect-, and cultivated-meat sources — could balance nutrition, flavor, and sustainability.
- Researchers found that combining different protein types can help overcome the shortcomings of each, including cost, texture, and environmental impact.
- The study highlights that hybrid foods may deliver the taste and texture consumers crave while reducing the carbon footprint and production challenges associated with single-source proteins.
It feels like everyone, everywhere, all at once, is on a quest to find the perfect protein. And that vibe may be right on the money. Cargill’s 2025 Protein Profile found that consumers are eating more protein than ever, with 61% reporting increased protein intake in 2024, up from 48% in 2019. The type of protein people choose can matter, especially given Consumer Reports’ finding that many protein powders contain high levels of lead. But as a new study by authors at Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts found, there is no single “right” protein. Instead, we should be aiming for a mix.
In 2025, researchers published their findings in Frontiers in Science, exploring how “hybrid” proteins could benefit human health and the planet. That means creating protein sources that draw on the best of each category, such as the “fibrous texture” of mushrooms, the “nutritional qualities” of cultivated meat, the “sustainability” of insects, and the low cost of plants.
“Hybrid foods could give us delicious taste and texture without breaking the bank or the planet,” David L. Kaplan from Tufts University, and co-author of the study, shared in a statement. “Using protein alternatives needn’t necessarily come with financial, taste, or nutritional costs.”
To understand how each can work in tandem, the researchers reviewed various protein sources, including plant-based soy products, processed insect-based flours, vegan mushroom proteins, cultivated meats, and fermented products. For each product, they explained, they assessed the literature on its “strengths and weaknesses” when used with or without meat.
They found that plant protein is often easy to produce at a reasonable price point but may lack the texture and flavor of meat that consumers are looking for, while cultivated meat can match that flavor profile, but is far too expensive right now to produce at scale. However, the authors argued that by combining them into a single product (think burgers made with meat and soy, or a small percentage of cultivated meat alongside mushroom protein, mixed together with flour made from insects), we could create a protein that is tastier, healthier, and has a smaller carbon footprint.
“No single alternative protein source is perfect, but hybrid products give us the opportunity to overcome those hurdles, creating products that are more than the sum of their parts,” David Julian McClements from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and co-author of the study, explained.
This isn’t a hype dream, as the team also pointed to earlier studies showing that manufacturers could replace a “substantial” amount of animal meat in burgers with plant proteins without altering consumer perception of the product.
However, they caution that there is still a long way to go in both scientific research and consumer product testing to get the combination just right. As Kaplan noted, “To succeed, we need research and cooperation across science, industry, and regulators to improve quality, scale production, and earn consumer trust.”
