What’s with the Protein Push? (Get off my back RFK, Jr!)
I’ve lived through sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free. None of them held up particularly well and yet, somehow, every few years a new version of the same story shows up at the table.
So here we are again. This time, it’s protein.
The reasonable part
I understand the premise. As a woman over 50, I likely do need somewhat more than I did in my thirties. The general guideline for adults is approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, although some experts recommend aiming for around 1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram for older adults to help preserve muscle mass.
Preserving muscle matters.
But strength is only one measure of health. Cardiovascular health, metabolic function, digestion, and long-term disease risk all sit alongside it. Most of the current wellness conversation is about living longer, or at least staying healthy for the years we have. And yet the way protein is being pushed, often through large amounts of meat, does not clearly support that broader goal.
What I’m seeing now feels less like a correction and more like another swing to the extreme.
What it looks like in real life
Friends chugging protein shakes. I have one friend choking down baggies filled with chicken breast for lunch. Others equate more protein with more steak, bacon, and processed meat.
This all feels forced. And, just like before, it feels familiar.
What stands out most now is how narrow the conversation has become: it’s as if only concentrated animal protein counts. In reality, protein shows up in so many foods.
A wider lens
If you step back further, the pattern becomes less clear-cut. Research on long-lived populations, often referred to as Blue Zones, shows diets that are largely plant-based, with meat used sparingly rather than as the center of the plate. Beans, grains, vegetables, and nuts make up the bulk of daily intake. They are not eating high-protein diets by today’s standards.
A diet centered heavily on meat, particularly processed meat, does not clearly support those broader health outcomes.
Even mainstream guidance has not moved in this direction. The American Heart Association continues to recommend limiting red and processed meat and building meals around a wider range of protein sources, including plant-based foods and fish. That advice has been consistent for years, which makes the current push toward meat-heavy eating all the more surprising.
Why it’s happening
At the same time, protein is easy to market. It is measurable, easy to label, and easy to sell. We have seen this before.
I also wonder how much of this is tied to the rise of medications like Ozempic. Rapid weight loss raises concerns about muscle loss, and the response has been to emphasize protein. That makes sense to a point. But this need not extend to everyone.
Hit a protein target. Every day.
And that is where it starts to seem like we’ve missed the point.
Today, nearly everyone has become a protein pusher, from influencers to Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
The insistence on hitting high daily minimums, often well over 100 grams, begins to feel less like guidance and more like another iteration of the same marketing cycle.
A simple idea, taken too far.
