Alright, so there was this period, just last fall, where every single lunch of mine turned into this squished-looking rectangle made of cottage cheese, eggs, and Cheddar. Seriously, it would come out of the oven looking all golden and dreamy, but by the time it hit my plate, boom! Sad, deflated mess. Taste-wise? Eh, I’ve had worse. But let’s be honest, my taste buds weren’t thrilled. Thanks to all that #proteinfluencer noise, I got sucked into the hype.
Protein! It’s been the “it” macronutrient for ages. Throwback to 2023, and I was giving my husband a hard time ‘cause he was all about that protein life, thanks to some health podcasts. Fast forward a bit, and the protein craze is even crazier. The Wall Street Journal threw out some numbers saying grocery items packed with 25 grams of protein or more are flying off shelves. Predictably, the Kardashians couldn’t resist hopping on board—Khloe’s pushing protein popcorn now. Khloud, they call it. Genius or just… extra?
Anyway, protein is kinda genius marketing-wise. It ropes in both dudes and dudettes without any of that “diet” stigma. Guys love it because, well, muscle talk, red meat. Hello, beef tallow, you ol’ pal. And for the gym rats? Powders galore!
I’ve always tried eating stuff that makes me feel good, you know? Physically, mentally, spiritually, all that jazz. Thought I’d outgrown diet trends, you see, but here I am, former teen-mag fanatic, trying not to drown in self-loathing nonsense. But hey, gotta keep up with what keeps me, uh, functioning? I hit 43 this year, still chasing that sub-7-minute mile. Muscles apparently start saying bye-bye in your 30s, especially if you’re a lady. So, protein power to the rescue?
Now, experts can’t even agree on how much protein humans need. Is it 0.8 grams per kilo? Or do I need a whole farm’s worth? Who knows? Math was never my friend, so when I shopped all protein-obsessed, I wanted a 10-calorie-to-1-gram protein ratio. Arbitrary? Maybe.
I’d like to say I ditched my protein habit because it was unnecessary. The truth? Those protein-packed things tasted like cardboard nightmare and, well, my stomach was not having it. Shoutout to Chris Gayomali who nailed it: protein-fooled is junk, slightly enhanced. Notice the “better” or the “junk” depends on your mood.
Wasn’t keen on spending my time picking pretentious protein bars. Katherine J. Wu broke it down in The Atlantic: the folks stressing over protein probably need it least. And with egg prices going nuts, my wallet was starting to groan. Environmentally? Yikes. So… not worth it.
Anyway, if TikTok’s anything to go by, protein’s getting nudged out by fiber. Brace yourself for prune-loaded delights coming soon.
Speaking of trends, newsletters are buzzing. Take my fave, Your Local Epidemiologist, diving into seed oil drama. It’s all about context: no magic cures, no poisons—just balance.
And remember that anti-carb madness back in the day? Michael Pollan dissected it in 2004. America, you fitness-obsessed paradox, you!
Alright, I’m rambling. Got thoughts on this chaos? Hit me up.
