'protein-forward' is a Modern English compound formed from 'protein' + 'forward'. 'Protein' originates from Neo-Latin 'proteina', ultimately from Greek 'proteios', where 'proteios' meant 'primary' or 'of first importance'; 'forward' originates from Old English 'forweard', where the prefix 'for-' meant 'toward' and 'weard' meant 'ward' or 'direction'.

'Protein' was coined in the 19th century (notably by J. B. Mulder) from Neo-Latin 'proteina' based on Greek 'proteios'; 'forward' evolved from Old English 'forweard' through Middle English into Modern English. The compound 'protein-forward' emerged in contemporary English (late 20th–21st century) within food marketing and nutrition contexts to describe products or recipes that highlight protein.

Individually, 'protein' originally carried the sense 'primary' (from Greek) and later came to denote the biological macronutrient; 'forward' retained the sense 'toward the front' or 'prominent'. Combined as 'protein-forward', the phrase evolved to mean 'giving prominence to protein' in formulation or marketing.