Wildly effective marketing has led Americans to eat way more protein than they actually need

Walk down any aisle in any grocery store and you won’t miss it: protein is everywhere. Packaging for everything from snacks to cereal boast that they’ve been stuffed with the muscle-building nutrient. There are seven grams in each serving of “Cheerios protein,” 10 in a Kind nut bar, and 15 in a small bag of something called a “protein chip.”
There’s no doubt we need the stuff—protein is one of the three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fats, that we get from our food. But of the three, protein is the only one that hasn’t been vilified by the media. Some of the most popular diets of the last decade, like Paleo and Atkins, encourage eating large amounts of protein while avoiding carbs. It’s been branded as the athlete’s nutrient and celebrated as a source of strength for those on the go.
Food companies have found a marketing opportunity. Realistically, though, the vast majority of us don’t need all that they’re selling—especially not in its powdered or otherwise supplemental form.