7 ms·

Moderately amused at the quote "We are ending the war on protein." In my experience, every single brand in recent years has been coalescing around the idea of m

Moderately amused at the quote "We are ending the war on protein." In my experience, every single brand in recent years has been coalescing around the idea of making protein bars, drinks, prominently labeling the amount of grams of protein are in items, etc. I'm not opposed, as protein seems to be a good target to prioritize, but claiming there's a war on protein just seems so out of touch to the point of absurdity. It's practically the only thing that people care about right now.

schmuckonwheels 9mo ago
> protein bars, drinks, prominently labeling the amount of grams of protein Most of which are loaded with crazy amounts of sugar to make them taste good. Have you ever looked at the label on a cup of non-plain "Greek" yogurt? (Which is 90% of the yogurt aisle.)
- tracker1 9mo ago
  Not to mention, that refined proteins don't have well balanced amino acid profiles and the lack of well balanced essential fatty acids to go with them is also a serious issue IMO.
  - CGMthrowaway 9mo ago
    Your comment applies almost exclusively to plant-based protein (as opposed to milk, egg or other animal protein)
    - tracker1 9mo ago
      Milk, egg and other animal proteins are mostly consumed whole, and not refined, which does tend to reduce the completeness. ex: Whey protein isolate is less complete than actual milk... though milk has sugars and enzymes that you may not want to consume.
      - CGMthrowaway 9mo ago
        Yeah I misread your comment. I was thinking just about amino acid profile not fats
- loeg 9mo ago
  They're mostly loaded with non-nutritive sweeteners, not sugar.
- bamboozled 9mo ago
  Disagree...collegen bars are pretty low on sugar, and they taste awesome. There is no "war on protein".
tracker1 9mo ago
[flagged]
- micromacrofoot 9mo ago
  if veganism was a real problem we'd have it made, that's the least of our worries... americans aren't dying at an alarming rate from heart disease because they've been lead astray from vegans there's been little change in overall meat consumption in the US for decades... and it's actually higher than most places in the world
  - BizarroLand 9mo ago
    But, if Americans ate more meat then the people who grow and sell that meat would make more money, and they would spend more of that money to lobby congresspeople to convince the populace to eat more meat so they would make more money so they would have more money to spend lobbying the congresspeople to convince the populace to eat more meat so they would make more money
    - IAmBroom 9mo ago
      I'm not convinced that advertising is why my refrigerator contains steak, chicken, octopus, salmon, and bacon. I think my tongue and my belly are the real conspirators.
      - soulofmischief 9mo ago
        Lobbying is a real thing, propaganda is a real thing, corporate-government collusion is a real thing. The meat and dairy industries are definitely things, and are GIGANTIC, pouring millions and billions into deceiving the public. If you're looking around the room and don't see the sucker, it might be you.
        tracker1 9mo ago
        They're nothing compared to the likes of ConAgra, General Mills and Kellogs
loeg 9mo ago
The establishment guidelines on protein intake for decades (since the 80s) have been very minimalist, only looking to balance nitrogen -- leading to guidelines in the 0.8g/kg range. This is what they're referring to. Yes, it's still hyperbolic. But they're not talking about a relatively recent popularity/marketing swing. The new guidance of 1.2-1.6g/kg is 50-100% higher.
drcongo 9mo ago
UK supermarkets these days have a high protein version of just about every single product on the shelves. It's bizarre, and I'm guessing something to do with more protein being the advice when you're on GLP-1 drugs. The one that makes me laugh the most is "high protein" peanut butter.
- hexbin010 9mo ago
  Definitely related to GLP-1 drugs. I've seen people on the Mounjaro sub Reddit advising 1g per POUND of weight. Wtaf
- lm28469 9mo ago
  Whey used to be a waste product of the dairy industry, now you sprinkle 20gr of it on anything and you can sell the product with a 50% markup as "high protein XYZ" It's genius really.
pengaru 9mo ago
The irony is everyone already seems obsessed with protein these days, which I guess plays nicely with meat lovers / producers. The last thing Americans need is more encouragement on the protein front IMO. Suddenly everyone thinks they're a body builder when it comes to food. The few friends I've known were attempting ketogenic diets over the years kept focusing on the protein side when the actual diet is supposed to be dominated by fat. They've all experienced kidney problems of one sort or another, surprise surprise!
- SirMaster 9mo ago
  I mean protein does fill you up faster and better with fewer calories which is good for weight loss or management.
  - IAmBroom 9mo ago
    Not than fat. Fat fills you up fastest, per calorie.
    - Rooster61 9mo ago
      Hmm, how do you figure? Just about every source I can find shows slow burning carbs, fiber, and protein rich foods blow fatty foods out of water in terms of satiety. (if you are using a metric other than satiety to represent "fills you up", feel free to correct me)
  - pengaru 9mo ago
    > I mean protein does fill you up faster and better with fewer calories which is good for weight loss or management. Thank you for exemplifying the problem so clearly - conflating protein with fat when we're really talking about a simple carbohydrates issue of high energy density with negative satiety. Excess protein is excreted renally, it's easy to overdo and can cause serious problems.
    - overgard 9mo ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_leverage_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_leverage_hypothesis Protein is actually pretty hard to overdo naturally. If you've ever tried to follow the high protein guidelines and you're a taller or broader shouldered person you'll find that getting that amount of protein requires supplementation or a lot of focus on lean meats. I'm not saying everyone needs to go "high" protein, I'm just saying that worrying about the amount of protein you're eating is probably not worth doing. You'll feel pretty full if you eat a lot of protein. Keto is not just "high fat" though. Keto is about producing ketones, and going too high fat can actually be counterproductive there, at least for weight loss. (You want to be liberating fat from your storage, not getting it from external sources)
bccdee 9mo ago
Yeah, (1) there is no "war on protein," (2) you do not need to eat very much protein unless you are trying to build muscle and you already work out a lot. The normal recommended daily intake for protein is 0.8 g/kg. 1.2-1.6 is silly; that's a recommendation for athletes.¹ Starches have been a dietary staple in pretty much every society forever. Sugars have not. It's silly that they treat grains as a "sometimes" food. There's also the weird boogeyman of "processed food." Almost all food is processed to some degree & always has been. We've been cooking, baking, juicing, fermenting, chopping, grinding, mashing, etc. long enough that it influenced the shape of our teeth. Certainly we haven't been making Pizza Pockets that long, but the issue there isn't processing, it's ingredients. And the reason people buy Pizza Pockets isn't that they think they're healthy—it's that Pizza Pockets only need to be microwaved, and cooking a real meal takes time that a lot of people just don't have. [1]: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/ https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/
- ahazred8ta 9mo ago
  'Processed' generally means 'chemically modified', a la hydrogenated vegetable oil.
  - bryanlarsen 9mo ago
    Generally the definition for ultra-processed foods includes a lot more than that. Some definitions even include "wrapping in plastic".
  - bccdee 9mo ago
    Assuming that "chemical modification" is when you modify something by adding a chemical reagent to it, milk is chemically modified to create cheese curds, sugars are chemically modified to create vinegar and alcohol, and breads & cakes are chemically modified when they rise. However, this definition of chemical modification doesn't really include hydrogenated vegetable oil. Industrial hydrogenation is done by raising oil to very high temperatures in the presence of a nickel catalyst & then adding hydrogen. We modify it on a chemical level, but primarily by heating it, not by adding reactive substances. And if that counts as chemical modification, then so does cooking! Anyway, no—people generally used "processed" to describe a particular vibe they get from certain foodstuffs whose production seems too industrialized. There's no rigorous basis for determining what is and isn't "processed" because people use it to describe their feelings about food, not any underlying property of food. If you search a simple question like "is bread processed," you get a bunch of articles saying "well, since there's no agreed-upon definition for processing and the definitions we do have aren't particularly clear, there's really no answer to the question. But don't worry, because (given the overwhelming vagueness of the category), it's also impossible to say whether processed foods as a category have any health implications, so you shouldn't worry about it."
anon291 9mo ago
The market has clearly moved on, as you've identified, primarily due to bro science. Meanwhile, the medical establishment still thinks protein is going to kill you.
croisillon 9mo ago
the current protein hype was litterally in the news today https://www.axios.com/2026/01/07/restaurant-menu-high-protein-dunkin-subway-chipotle https://www.axios.com/2026/01/07/restaurant-menu-high-protei...
fuddle 9mo ago
They always need to make up a war on something. Its pretty standard template in American discourse e.g war on Christmas

schmuckonwheels 9mo ago

> protein bars, drinks, prominently labeling the amount of grams of protein Most of which are loaded with crazy amounts of sugar to make them taste good. Have you ever looked at the label on a cup of non-plain "Greek" yogurt? (Which is 90% of the yogurt aisle.)

tracker1 9mo ago
Not to mention, that refined proteins don't have well balanced amino acid profiles and the lack of well balanced essential fatty acids to go with them is also a serious issue IMO.
- CGMthrowaway 9mo ago
  Your comment applies almost exclusively to plant-based protein (as opposed to milk, egg or other animal protein)
  - tracker1 9mo ago
    Milk, egg and other animal proteins are mostly consumed whole, and not refined, which does tend to reduce the completeness. ex: Whey protein isolate is less complete than actual milk... though milk has sugars and enzymes that you may not want to consume.
    - CGMthrowaway 9mo ago
      Yeah I misread your comment. I was thinking just about amino acid profile not fats
loeg 9mo ago
They're mostly loaded with non-nutritive sweeteners, not sugar.
bamboozled 9mo ago
Disagree...collegen bars are pretty low on sugar, and they taste awesome. There is no "war on protein".

tracker1 9mo ago

[flagged]

micromacrofoot 9mo ago
if veganism was a real problem we'd have it made, that's the least of our worries... americans aren't dying at an alarming rate from heart disease because they've been lead astray from vegans there's been little change in overall meat consumption in the US for decades... and it's actually higher than most places in the world
- BizarroLand 9mo ago
  But, if Americans ate more meat then the people who grow and sell that meat would make more money, and they would spend more of that money to lobby congresspeople to convince the populace to eat more meat so they would make more money so they would have more money to spend lobbying the congresspeople to convince the populace to eat more meat so they would make more money
  - IAmBroom 9mo ago
    I'm not convinced that advertising is why my refrigerator contains steak, chicken, octopus, salmon, and bacon. I think my tongue and my belly are the real conspirators.
    - soulofmischief 9mo ago
      Lobbying is a real thing, propaganda is a real thing, corporate-government collusion is a real thing. The meat and dairy industries are definitely things, and are GIGANTIC, pouring millions and billions into deceiving the public. If you're looking around the room and don't see the sucker, it might be you.
      - tracker1 9mo ago
        They're nothing compared to the likes of ConAgra, General Mills and Kellogs

loeg 9mo ago

The establishment guidelines on protein intake for decades (since the 80s) have been very minimalist, only looking to balance nitrogen -- leading to guidelines in the 0.8g/kg range. This is what they're referring to. Yes, it's still hyperbolic. But they're not talking about a relatively recent popularity/marketing swing. The new guidance of 1.2-1.6g/kg is 50-100% higher.

drcongo 9mo ago

UK supermarkets these days have a high protein version of just about every single product on the shelves. It's bizarre, and I'm guessing something to do with more protein being the advice when you're on GLP-1 drugs. The one that makes me laugh the most is "high protein" peanut butter.

hexbin010 9mo ago
Definitely related to GLP-1 drugs. I've seen people on the Mounjaro sub Reddit advising 1g per POUND of weight. Wtaf
lm28469 9mo ago
Whey used to be a waste product of the dairy industry, now you sprinkle 20gr of it on anything and you can sell the product with a 50% markup as "high protein XYZ" It's genius really.

pengaru 9mo ago

The irony is everyone already seems obsessed with protein these days, which I guess plays nicely with meat lovers / producers. The last thing Americans need is more encouragement on the protein front IMO. Suddenly everyone thinks they're a body builder when it comes to food. The few friends I've known were attempting ketogenic diets over the years kept focusing on the protein side when the actual diet is supposed to be dominated by fat. They've all experienced kidney problems of one sort or another, surprise surprise!

SirMaster 9mo ago
I mean protein does fill you up faster and better with fewer calories which is good for weight loss or management.
- IAmBroom 9mo ago
  Not than fat. Fat fills you up fastest, per calorie.
  - Rooster61 9mo ago
    Hmm, how do you figure? Just about every source I can find shows slow burning carbs, fiber, and protein rich foods blow fatty foods out of water in terms of satiety. (if you are using a metric other than satiety to represent "fills you up", feel free to correct me)
- pengaru 9mo ago
  > I mean protein does fill you up faster and better with fewer calories which is good for weight loss or management. Thank you for exemplifying the problem so clearly - conflating protein with fat when we're really talking about a simple carbohydrates issue of high energy density with negative satiety. Excess protein is excreted renally, it's easy to overdo and can cause serious problems.
  - overgard 9mo ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_leverage_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_leverage_hypothesis Protein is actually pretty hard to overdo naturally. If you've ever tried to follow the high protein guidelines and you're a taller or broader shouldered person you'll find that getting that amount of protein requires supplementation or a lot of focus on lean meats. I'm not saying everyone needs to go "high" protein, I'm just saying that worrying about the amount of protein you're eating is probably not worth doing. You'll feel pretty full if you eat a lot of protein. Keto is not just "high fat" though. Keto is about producing ketones, and going too high fat can actually be counterproductive there, at least for weight loss. (You want to be liberating fat from your storage, not getting it from external sources)

bccdee 9mo ago

Yeah, (1) there is no "war on protein," (2) you do not need to eat very much protein unless you are trying to build muscle and you already work out a lot. The normal recommended daily intake for protein is 0.8 g/kg. 1.2-1.6 is silly; that's a recommendation for athletes.¹ Starches have been a dietary staple in pretty much every society forever. Sugars have not. It's silly that they treat grains as a "sometimes" food. There's also the weird boogeyman of "processed food." Almost all food is processed to some degree & always has been. We've been cooking, baking, juicing, fermenting, chopping, grinding, mashing, etc. long enough that it influenced the shape of our teeth. Certainly we haven't been making Pizza Pockets that long, but the issue there isn't processing, it's ingredients. And the reason people buy Pizza Pockets isn't that they think they're healthy—it's that Pizza Pockets only need to be microwaved, and cooking a real meal takes time that a lot of people just don't have. [1]: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/ https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/

ahazred8ta 9mo ago
'Processed' generally means 'chemically modified', a la hydrogenated vegetable oil.
- bryanlarsen 9mo ago
  Generally the definition for ultra-processed foods includes a lot more than that. Some definitions even include "wrapping in plastic".
- bccdee 9mo ago
  Assuming that "chemical modification" is when you modify something by adding a chemical reagent to it, milk is chemically modified to create cheese curds, sugars are chemically modified to create vinegar and alcohol, and breads & cakes are chemically modified when they rise. However, this definition of chemical modification doesn't really include hydrogenated vegetable oil. Industrial hydrogenation is done by raising oil to very high temperatures in the presence of a nickel catalyst & then adding hydrogen. We modify it on a chemical level, but primarily by heating it, not by adding reactive substances. And if that counts as chemical modification, then so does cooking! Anyway, no—people generally used "processed" to describe a particular vibe they get from certain foodstuffs whose production seems too industrialized. There's no rigorous basis for determining what is and isn't "processed" because people use it to describe their feelings about food, not any underlying property of food. If you search a simple question like "is bread processed," you get a bunch of articles saying "well, since there's no agreed-upon definition for processing and the definitions we do have aren't particularly clear, there's really no answer to the question. But don't worry, because (given the overwhelming vagueness of the category), it's also impossible to say whether processed foods as a category have any health implications, so you shouldn't worry about it."

anon291 9mo ago

The market has clearly moved on, as you've identified, primarily due to bro science. Meanwhile, the medical establishment still thinks protein is going to kill you.

croisillon 9mo ago

the current protein hype was litterally in the news today https://www.axios.com/2026/01/07/restaurant-menu-high-protein-dunkin-subway-chipotle https://www.axios.com/2026/01/07/restaurant-menu-high-protei...

fuddle 9mo ago

They always need to make up a war on something. Its pretty standard template in American discourse e.g war on Christmas