I Hate Protein

“OMG, these have 25 grams of protein in them!”

That’s really great, Jessica, but just because your cookies-and-cream poptart has a big protein label on the front of the box, it doesn't mean you should associate it with healthy foods.

I do not hate protein; I hate what it has come to.

If you were to take all the processed foods in America, put ‘protein’ in huge font on the product, the labels would sell themselves. But now we’ve just got processed protein.

What happened to chicken, a piece of steak, a yogurt bowl, perhaps? Now we have protein noodles and pasta sauce, calling it our high-protein dinner. It’s giving ‘hard-to-digest, mystery carbs, and macro rebrand’ instead.

You walk into Target, and you see protein water. I’m sorry, but the protein does not belong in water. Let alone protein pretzels, waffles, chips, ice cream, cereal, popcorn, and even candy. 

Protein is in everything now. Protein bars are not what they used to be; they are flavored and made for taste, rather than for gain. You might as well go home and bake a cake, then add some protein powder.

Protein or a brilliant marketing tool? 

Consumers often associate, or mistake, rather, the term ‘health’ with protein. The word itself has been linked to muscle gain, weight loss, and appetite control, which is true– but what is the protein really being consumed? 

My last straw was the new Starbucks protein campaign. The idea of 27 grams of protein in my vanilla latte sounds great, but not the 34 grams of sugar. Matching your sugar and protein intake is not the way to reach your fitness goals.

The protein obsession has become overhyped and unbalanced. People are buying processed foods packaged as protein without really reading the labels– only to satisfy an alleged ‘required protein intake’.

You can’t tell me a Starbucks pumpkin spice protein latte is going to benefit you. It’s a smart idea and a great campaign in this generation, because people are drooling at the glamourized word choice. 

Protein is an essential nutrient, and if that is what you want your diet to consist of, why eat the processed food? Eating a 30-gram protein poptart is not going to provide the same health benefits as a 30-gram protein steak-and-egg meal. 

Protein has always been a viable nutrient and is important for maintaining a healthy diet. However, the mentality that ‘the more protein the better’ only feeds the romanticization of protein, not the balance that actually feeds your body. 

While you may be less hungry, you are also less energetic because your body is lacking the proper nutrients from real, complete protein. How you reach your protein goals is up to you, but how you benefit will depend on what you choose to eat. Checking the ingredient list is where the truth lies, and don’t let the idea of high protein sell you on something.

Strike Out,

Kaden Horn

Boca Raton

Kaden Horn is a content writer for Strike Magazine, Boca. She is a free-spirited Leo who loves to write humorously, but also in a way that is intentional and meaningful. She thrives in peaceful environments, whether it’s at the beach, working out, or rewatching Vampire Diaries for the 100th time. You can reach her at kaden.horn813@gmail.com, or her Instagram @kadennhunter

Cover Image Courtesy: Starbucks