Walk through the aisles of any grocery store, or look at the menus at Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, and you’ll notice something strange: a plethora of protein-infused products. From coffee to prepackaged sodas, popcorn, ice cream, cereal, and even candy, everything has been branded as “high-protein,” even foods that already contain protein.
Celebrities are launching “high-protein” versions of snacks we never once associated with nutrition. Yes, even popcorn à la Khloé Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion’s partnership with Dunkin’ to launch protein coffee.
What’s actually going on here? Are we, as a society, not eating enough protein, or is that just what these companies want you to think?
The Protein Craze: Where It Came From
Protein is, without a doubt, essential. From hair growth to muscle building and tissue repair, protein provides the building blocks for many different processes in our bodies. In the last decade, though, protein has gone from an important nutrient to a full-blown marketing obsession.
A few things kick-started this trend. The first being culture and the belief that more protein means more muscle. While this is somewhat true, it’s not as simple as eating as much protein as possible while sitting around and occasionally going to the gym.
I’ll hold your hand when I say this: your body can’t effectively use unlimited amounts of protein at once. While the exact number isn’t that rigid, there’s a limit to how much can be used for muscle-building at a time, and excess protein is used for energy or excreted, which makes this high-protein-everything trend even more questionable.
Second, diet trends like keto and paleo prioritize eating protein over carbs, not to mention the rise of weight loss messaging across food marketing, the idea that protein is the key to staying full longer, and eating less overall.
Somewhere along the way, “high-protein” became shorthand for “healthy.” I’ll be the last person to say one food is cut-and-dry “healthier” than another, but it’s worth questioning how that label is being used.
Do We Actually Need More Protein?
Here’s the honest answer: most people already get enough protein.
According to general nutrition guidelines, the average adult needs about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For many college students who eat a relatively normal diet, that requirement is usually met without trying.
Some people benefit from higher protein intake, like athletes or people who lift weights regularly, but for the average person, you probably don’t need to eat bagels with 20 grams of protein in them.
Protein Soda… Really?
This is where things get a little absurd.
The idea of adding protein to foods traditionally viewed as indulgent or low-nutrient, like soda or candy, raises an obvious question: Is this about health, or just preying on people’s insecurities and misunderstandings about food?
I think that adding protein doesn’t automatically make something nutritious or “healthy.” A protein popcorn might still be highly processed, loaded with additives, and not particularly filling or balanced.
What about protein soda? It’s essentially trying to turn what many people think of as a treat into a “functional beverage,” even though it’s still far from what most dietitians would consider a meaningful source of nutrition.
Protein is important, but it’s not magic. When everything from popcorn to soda is suddenly a “protein product,” it’s worth asking whether we’re actually improving our diets or just buying into better branding.
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