You stare into your pantry, trying to decide on a healthy high-protein snack to start your day. Should you pick the string cheese? The trail mix? Maybe hummus? No, it has to be the protein powder. Or, does it?
Protein has become overly glorified in today’s culture, particularly among teens. While protein is a necessary nutrient for the body, particularly for those who are still growing, this high-protein obsession has gone too far.
Elizabeth Fowler, M.D., a pediatrician at Menlo Medical Clinic, explained what’s true about these protein ideals and what’s not.
“There’s been actually a lot of studies done over many years, and the recommended daily allowance for protein is about … 0.8 grams per kilo,” said Fowler. “So, let’s say you’re a 60 kilo person – You need probably around 50 something grams of protein per day do. So, that’s what the recommendation is from the every kind of medical body out there: The American Academy of Pediatrics, nutritionists, American Academy family practitioners. It has not changed with all of the hype on protein lately.”
Protein is essential for growth, muscle repair and development as well as being responsible for long-term energy. But, what started as a focus on healthy eating with these goals in mind has developed into something much more harmful.
A quick scroll through social media is the simplest gateway to negative media, which is being consumed worldwide. Endless “What I eat in a day” videos or ad after ad of fitness influencers promoting their brand of protein coffee are being consistently watched and interpreted by teens, especially, marketed to be an easy way to get the same body type as an adult gym professional.
In some cases, this glorification of certain food groups and nutrients mirrors restrictive ideals once seen in the 2000s, which was an era that promoted obsession with thinness and diet culture. This diet rebrand may be dressed in gym clothes with muscle-building ideals, but the dangerous principles are uncannily similar.
Real health is not found in a scoop of manufactured protein powder or a bag of flavorless protein chips. It is actually found in a balanced diet and eating what makes you happy in a mindful manner, not labeling something “good” or “bad,” based on how many grams you’ve weighed out in protein portions. A little trail mix or even a slice of toast is just as good, if not healthier, than the protein shake that your Instagram reels are raving about.
The truth about this mindset is how misleading and even harmful it is for younger and more impressionable generations. A balanced diet, including a good mix of carbohydrates, fats and proteins is all that is needed to maintain your physical and mental health.
