Proponents of this diet encourage participants to consume over 100 grams of protein, with some recommending that people consume one gram of protein per pound of weight. With most lean meats boasting roughly 25 grams of protein, protein shakes containing an average of 20 to 30 grams and even protein lattes having up to 36 grams, personal trainer and CAS senior Jeremy Deacon finds it easy to meet these encouraged goals.
“I’m not at all a picky eater, so I’ll eat anything and everything, but getting quality protein without wasting too many empty calories should be your target goal,” Deacon said. “For me, that looks like eating as much lean meat as I can, whether it’s red meat or poultry, doesn’t really matter to me.”
Like other popular diet trends, which often gain traction for their extremity, high-protein eating is relatively unforgiving. In addition to working around her gluten and dairy intolerances, Steinhardt master’s student Nehanda Akili opts for plant-based foods like soy and edamame to satisfy her protein consumption.
“It’s hard when you have a lot of dietary restrictions to meet protein goals while also not meeting those dietary restrictions,” Akili said. “It’s hard to do without just eating chicken and rice every day.”
The average adult is recommended to consume about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, with researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine reporting that consuming protein in excess of the daily recommended amount can result in adverse cardiovascular and metabolic effects.
To keep track of their intake, many consumers use food scales or nutrition apps like MyFitnessPal to count their calories and macronutrients down to the exact gram. But this obsessive tracking introduces a dangerous aspect of diet culture, fixating consumers on meeting rigorous diet metrics rather than listening to their bodies. To avoid corrupting their dietary regimens, some high-protein consumers prefer keeping a mental log instead of using apps.
“There was an eight-month period when I tracked it with an app, but for my lifestyle and with how much I love eating, sometimes tracking gets in the way of that love,” Deacon said. “I feel like over the years, and through my studies of diet and nutrition, I’ve built an understanding where I could have a somewhat accurate estimate in my mind.”
In moderation, eating more protein can increase muscle mass in conjunction with workouts and potentially help consumers feel healthier overall — but it also can implicitly encourage consumers to replace foods with other necessary nutrients, like fiber, with an excess of protein. At the same time, high-protein enthusiasts have gone as far as painting themselves as dietary pariahs.
“It’s definitely a fad, to me,” Akili said. “I don’t 100% believe that a little 5’1 girl needs to be eating 100 grams of protein per day. It doesn’t make any sense to me evolutionarily and scientifically. I don’t think there are enough long-term longitudinal studies that have been enacted in order for me to say I believe in this. But, anecdotally, I would say that it does make a difference.”
Maximizing protein is seen by many as just another fad diet cycling through the revolving door of trendy eating habits. But to others, eating an abundance of protein is an essential facet of their lifestyle. With protein offering a longer-lasting feeling of fullness and increased muscle repair, Deacon believes it to be the nutritional ticket to success.
“If you’re eating the most protein that you can, you’re actually doing yourself a favor in terms of overall energy,” Deacon said. “It’s so necessary for so many functions in the body and, of course, the repair of muscle.”