Meat, fish, eggs and protein shakes are all part of senior Matty Stillman’s daily diet. These foods fuel his workouts and help him hit his daily protein goals. For Stillman, protein is a strategy for athletic advancement that mirrors a growing nationwide obsession with what people eat to perform, recover and stay healthy.
Fitness influencers praise ultra-high-protein diets, grocery stores are packed with protein-fortified versions of everything from Quest protein chips to Catalina Crunch protein cereal and major companies like Starbucks are racing to release their next high-protein product.
61% of people in the United States increased their protein consumption in 2024, up from 48% in 2019, according to food corporation Cargill. The industry is responding just as quickly, with Innova Market Insights reporting that sales of protein shakes and drinks in the United States grew by 122% between 2020 and 2024. The protein trends point to a rapidly expanding market where both consumers and brands are accelerating the protein push.
Lori Fish Bard, clinical nutritionist, integrative health coach and parent to senior Simon Bard, believes that the focus on protein is fueled by social media. She says that people are often drawn to things they can measure, and protein is easy to quantify, making it an easy focus in people’s diets.
“I think nutrition has just become more a fad and more popular because of social media, but we’ve always known that protein is important,” Fish Bard said. “All the macronutrients are important. One macronutrient is not more important than the other. But I think it’s social media, and I think it’s really good marketing that is making protein have its moment.”
Her observation reflects a broader pattern in digital wellness culture: social media creates trends. Protein-rich meals, shakes and supplements fit neatly into short videos or “what I eat in a day” posts, tapping into audiences’ desire for tangible results. Brands that sell protein-enhanced products often pay influencers to promote these items, creating a feedback loop where protein becomes both a social and economic currency: something that can be leveraged for sponsorships, social attention and profit.
As journalist Brittany Luse noted in an interview on NPR, protein has a positive reputation compared with other macronutrients since it has never been culturally villainized like carbs or fats have been. Because of this, it is easy for food companies to market it as a healthier choice that appeals to consumers.
Fish Bard sees the increased attention on protein as a positive development and believes people should actually be consuming more than the standard recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. She believes that this reccomendation is OK for the average person, however at least one gram per kilogram of body weight is neccesarry if hoping to build muscle.
“I would say it’s more of a baseline than an optimal amount,” Fish Bard said. “There are different factors, like your age or physical activity or recovery from an injury or illness or health goals that affect how much protein you should be aiming for.”
Stillman’s focus on protein intake began in June 2025 with the goal of improving his sports performance and maximizing his weight-lifting results.
“I found that protein and your diet had such an effect on how effective all of the training was going to be,” Stillman said. “… If you’re not hitting your protein goals, with the weight room, you’re not going to meet your [strength building] goals.”
Protein also plays a role in Stillman’s social life. He said that many of his friends share his interest in lifting and high-protein diets, which creates an environment that reinforces their routines. Additionally, he said that he has seen the overall JDS environment pick up on these habits, with students across the high school being increasingly focused on protein goals.
Athletic trainer Julie Rosenthal adds that protein consumption is a global trend, with the U.S. protein craze being inspired in part by eating patterns observed in South Korea. She said that South Korea has a high prevalence of diabetes, which has encouraged many people to adopt diets that are focused on higher protein and lower sugar to help regulate insulin.
But is the current protein craze actually healthy?
Rosenthal sees the current trend as overdone. She acknowledges that protein is essential for muscle growth, repair and overall performance, however she also cautions that too much emphasis on protein can be ineffective. Rosenthal says that success depends on other factors including rest and training.
Fish Bard, on the other hand does support the current craze. She recommends eating foods from natural sources, saying that animal proteins like chicken, beef, eggs and fish, as well as plant-based options like tofu, quinoa and beans, are excellent sources of protein. However, she cautions that many protein-enriched snacks and shakes are highly processed, which can be less healthy. While these products can help students reach their daily protein goals, she encourages prioritizing eating natural foods and reading labels carefully.
“If it reads like a science experiment, [and] you cannot understand half of the words that you’re reading, it’s most likely not a good choice,” Fish Bard said.
In addition to choosing high-quality sources, experts add that spacing protein consumption is important. According to Rosenthal, spacing protein intake evenly across the day is more effective than consuming large amounts in a single meal. For students who are highly active or athletes with intense training schedules, supplements such as protein bars or powders can be useful, but they should complement, not replace, regular meals.
“Protein is best taken directly before or directly after you exercise so that all of your muscles can repair themselves,” Rosenthal said.
For students like Stillman, Rosenthal’s strategies about spacing out protein consumption shape his daily habits. He structures his meals and snacks to meet his goals, but allows flexibility so he doesn’t stress if he has a little bit more or less protein.
“Balance is always the magic question,” Fish Bard said. “I think it is important knowing that all your macronutrients serve a purpose. So protein is going to serve a purpose, carbohydrates are going to serve a purpose. And fats, we need healthy fats. So I would say, every time you make a plate or every time you eat, think about those three things, protein, carbs and fat, and make sure that all of them are represented.”
