PROTEIN'S PROLIFERATION

It used to just be gym bros shaking their blender bottles at you. Now it’s your boss, your barista, and your bartender, all climbing aboard the protein train. Protein is saturating diets and American life, becoming at once a marketing pitch, a moral good, and a multibillion-dollar industry. The vibe: serious yet increasingly absurd.

Fueling the obsession is a convergence of fitness trends, influencers, and weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound that suppress appetite but deplete muscle mass. Protein promises to spare your strength while you shed pounds, which makes it the rare nutrient that aligns with both brawn and thinness. So no wonder food companies are going all in, with Pepsi rolling out protein Doritos and Starbucks set to offer “protein foam” while buzzy startups shill supposedly snackable frozen cod fillets.

Is it working? Are we all brawny yet slim now? To learn whey more, scroll down below.

BY THE DIGITS

MACRONUTRIENT GOES MAINSTREAM, AGAIN

What does protein’s rise have in common with the low-fat 1990s, the anti-carb aughts, or the deep-in-ketosis 2010s? Plenty. 

Once again, longstanding dietary guidance is being billed as permission. You can snack on candy that “works as hard as you do” and call it self-care. Whether your gains are in the gym or just in your mind, there’s a product for you. Buy this, and you’re not just healthy. You’re disciplined, in control, and on trend.

Case in point: One of the most viral protein products as of this writing is bovine colostrum powder. Ballerina Farm’s “Farmer Protein” blends old-school Americana with 2025 wellness mania. Run by Juilliard-trained ballerina Hannah Neeleman and her weightlifting husband — both of whom are influencers — the Utah ranch brand launched a protein powder made with the nutrient-rich fluid cows produce after calving. Even their cow Dandy has become a social media star.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, critics say the protein boom is overhyped. Most Americans already get more than enough, and excess intake may stress kidneys or increase heart disease risk. Many protein-packed products are just junk food in disguise, riding a health halo. It’s marketing, not necessity — and it’s crowding out nutrients we actually lack, like fiber. What’s more, climate experts say we should reduce the amount of protein in our diets for the environment’s sake. All the meat, milk, and eggs needed to feed the boom are increasing the methane in the atmosphere causing climate change. 

But hey, nothing says wellness like colostrum in your coffee and a planet on fire.

QUOTABLE

“Mike White thought it was so funny to put like seven scoops of protein in the shakes. He thought it was hilarious. He thought it was so funny if Saxon just kept scooping and scooping and scooping.” 

—Patrick Schwarzenegger, on why his White Lotus character is obsessed with protein shakes and how the series creator, Mike White, saw the joke.

POP QUIZ

Who was the first major influencer to endorse protein powder as a way to bulk up?

A. Arnold Schwarzenegger, during his 1970s Mr. Olympia reign

B. The Rock, in a 2000s Men’s Health cover story

C. Jane Fonda, for her 1980s aerobic protein shakes

D. Eugen Sandow, the 1890s bodybuilder known as the father of modern fitness

BRIEF HISTORY

FUN FACT!

WATCH THIS

POLL

How are you ensuring you get enough protein?

A. I eat six eggs before noon and whisper “gains” to myself

B. I only buy snacks if the label screams “PROTEIN” in bold

C. I assume milkshakes count and hope for the best