Mainstream protein

Everybody knows that protein is good for you. Most people understand that it plays important roles, like building muscle and helping your body recover from exercise. Over the past year, though, protein has become the new “gluten-free” label.

Remember when things like peanut butter, eggs, and oatmeal—all of which never had gluten—started proudly advertising gluten free on the package? We’re doing the same thing with protein now.

There’s high-protein pizza, pasta, bagels, bread, and yes… even water.

But being surrounded by protein-rich foods doesn’t automatically make you better at eating protein. And that’s why I don’t think protein’s trending status is actually helping most people get more of it.

The most effective way to eat more protein is much less exciting: figure out what you’re already eating in a normal day.

To do that, you have to track it using an app, ChatGPT, or, like I had to do in my college nutrition classes, by reading nutrition labels and doing the math.

Once you know that number, then “I need to eat more protein” becomes a real, actionable goal.

Because if you Google how much protein you should be eating, you’ll find recommendations anywhere from 0.6 to 1.1 grams per pound of bodyweight. Without knowing your current intake, that range is meaningless. There’s no context.

Instead, set a target that’s close to what you’re already averaging. Don’t try to jump from 75 grams straight to 150. Meet it in the middle and build up gradually.

When you consistently get protein at every meal, healthy eating gets easier and easier. But before you chase the latest high-protein product, you need to do a little homework and figure out how much protein you’re actually eating each day.

—Justin Miner