When chef and cookbook author Sohla El-Waylly recently posted a simple one-pot mac and cheese with greens recipe on Instagram, she meant to offer busy families an easy weeknight win. Instead, El-Waylly quickly faced a barrage of comments criticizing her recipe’s alleged lack of protein. The response was strong enough that El-Waylly returned with a follow-up video to set the record straight — her recipe does, in fact, deliver plenty of protein.
“I’m not saying that it’s healthy or high in protein — it’s mac and cheese,” she says in the video. “But I do think it’s important to remember that protein is not synonymous with meat.”
El-Waylly then proceeded to break down the recipe’s protein sources by ingredient: the macaroni noodles (42 grams), 3 cups of milk (24 grams), 12 ounces of spinach (12 grams) and 8 ounces of gruyere (64 grams). “That entire dish had 142 grams of protein,” she says in her video. El-Waylly then broke things down by serving, pointing out that each eater would get about 34 grams of protein. “That’s fine,” she says. “You don’t have to have 100 grams of protein in every meal.”
El-Waylly ended on this note: “I think it might make you feel a little less anxious about protein if you realize that [nearly] everything has protein.”
People applauded El-Waylly’s message in the comments, echoing concerns that the general public has become too obsessed with protein. But it’s easy to see why protein is the macronutrient du jour.
Social media posts from influencers consistently stress the need to load up on protein, while the updated — and controversial — food pyramid heavily emphasizes animal-based protein sources like steak, which is positioned at the top, alongside ground beef, salmon and chicken. It sends the message that if you’re not eating meat, you’re not getting enough protein.
But as El-Waylly — and lots of nutritionists — point out, protein doesn’t start and end with meat. So, why are Americans so fixated on protein, and what sources should you add to your plate? Here’s what dietitians want you to know.
Why are people so obsessed with protein right now?
Protein isn’t some new wellness discovery — scientists and food experts have long understood what it does for the body. “Protein can help to provide not only energy, but help build and maintain muscle mass with exercise,” Christen Cooper, a dietitian nutritionist and associate professor in the College of Health Professionals at Pace University, tells Yahoo. “It also aids in the repair of bones, skin and hair.” The macronutrient supports metabolism and weight management as well, since it’s filling, Cooper adds.
Eating enough protein is especially important for those wanting to lose weight to avoid losing muscle mass, for people on vegan diets and for older adults who want to avoid muscle loss and an increased risk for falls,” dietitian Sonya Angelone tells Yahoo.
The rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs has also played a role, as users are urged to load up on the macronutrient to protect muscle and meet their nutrition needs on smaller appetites.
All of those factors are likely fueling the push to eat more protein, Cooper says, “but marketing and social media have made it explosive.”
The new food guide pyramid also adds to the hype — and confusion — around protein, Jessica Cording, a registered dietitian and author of The Little Book of Game Changers, tells Yahoo. “The animal protein foods are front and center in those new guidelines,” she says. “It’s very easy for consumers to look at it and see that meat is on top. That’s certainly impacting the perception of what counts as protein.”
While dietitians say the protein obsession has gotten out of hand — “there is a potential to take it too far,” says Cording — there are some silver linings to the trend: “I’ve been bugging people to eat more protein for so long,” she says. “As a registered dietitian, it makes me happy that people now care that protein is important for metabolic health and overall well-being.”
You can get protein from plenty of sources
There’s a reason meat is often considered the gold standard protein source. Angelone points out that meat is a complete source of protein — meaning, it contains all nine amino acids that meet the body’s needs — making it a “no-brainer” when it comes to getting enough of the macronutrient. (For what it’s worth, dairy is also considered a complete protein.)
But many plant foods like beans, tofu, quinoa, nuts and seeds are also solid sources of protein, Angelone says. They just may not be complete sources like meat. So “getting enough protein from plants requires a little more thought and planning,” Angelone says.
Cooper says that that doesn’t mean animal sources of protein are superior, though. “There are valuable benefits” — including fiber and antioxidants — “to eating plant-based foods,” she says.
Plant-based proteins can get you there, says Cording — but you may need to eat more of them and mix things up to hit your goals. “If someone is eating a wide variety of plant proteins, that can be helpful,” she says. “But for somebody who tends to eat the same few plant proteins over and over, there is a risk of them missing out on certain amino acids.”
The bottom line: Protein is clearly important, but it’s not something you need to obsess over — or get from just one source. Both animal and plant proteins bring something to the table, and each has a place in a healthy diet. “All protein foods are valuable,” Cooper says.
