Pictures from underdeveloped countries show young children with spindly limbs and swollen bellies.  They have Kwashiorkor, which is caused by severe protein malnutrition, and it is rare in high income countries.  

Composed of amino acids, protein is an essential nutrient that is involved in the structure and function of many bodily functions.    Meats, eggs, and dairy are “complete” sources of these building blocks, i.e., they contain the nine amino acids that the body cannot make on its own.  Some plants, for instance soybeans and quinoa, are also “complete proteins.”

The average adult weighing 140 pounds needs about one and three quarters ounces of protein per day, while a 200 pounder needs two and a half.  Elite athletes need much more.

The “carriers” of the protein are important.  A four ounce steak supplies a little more than an ounce of protein, but it is also high in fat.  Four ounces of ham has slightly less protein but is high in sodium.  A cup of lentils, on the other hand, yields about two-thirds ounces with no appreciable fat or sodium.  

In the United States, getting sufficient protein is easy, even if you are trying to avoid high fat foods like red meat.  For instance, four ounces of chicken, a handful of almonds, and a half cup of lentils supplies all the protein you would need in one day.  Because differing foods have different types of amino acids, eating a variety is important. 

Of course, protein is only part of what you need for a healthy diet.  Fruits and vegetables, for instance, provide necessary nutrients like vitamins, but some, like spinach and corn, can add significant amounts of protein to a diet.

New Guidelines

New federal guidelines, issued in January of 2026 under the direction of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kenndy, have emphasized increased protein in the average American diet.  For a targeted population, such as young women and the elderly, increased protein is reasonable. But most Americans already have diets that meet the new guidelines. 

The recommendations now increase the optimal amount of protein in the diet by 50 to 100 percent.  Because animal based food contains the most bang for the protein buck, emphasis is on meat and fullfat dairy as a means to achieve the recommended amounts.   The guidelines also apply to children’s diets. 

Pushback

The new guidelines contain very important, and universally accepted, recommendations.  The emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoidance of ultra-processed foods is not controversial.  Countless reputable organizations, like The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and the American Association of Pediatrics, however, are among the numerous scientific based bodies that point out the dangers of very high protein diets.

The difficulty lies in the carrier.  High amounts of protein intake is harmless in and of itself, but the best dietary sources of protein (red meat, dairy) are also high in fat–the “bad” fat.  The association with cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, in the view of these bodies, far outweighs any theoretical benefit of diets high in protein.

Another consideration is the enormous impact animal based protein has on the environment.  Producing a pound of beef, for instance, generates 30 times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to one cup of cooked lentils.

Critics of the new guidelines also point out the thin evidence that underlies the effectiveness of a high protein diet.  They also suspect that the protein industry has exerted undue influence. In this view, the marketing of protein powders and additives is driven by advertisers, and nutritionists worry that these supplements (unregulated by the FDA and possibly containing dangerous substances) may steer people away from the foods with necessary fiber and vitamins and minerals.  A casual glance in the grocery aisles shows how prominent protein powders, and especially protein additives, have become.

Marketing and Science

The influence of the market place on nutrition is not new.  In the early 1900s, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes, that Kellogg), with no scientific evidence, tied morning nutrition to general health.  He was the one who perpetrated the concept that “breakfast is the most important meal” and turned it into a major marketing campaign for cereal.  General Foods soon jumped on board, and the benefits of eating breakfast, especially one with cereal, became conventional wisdom.  

I do not know why Robert F Kennedy has decided Americans need more protein in their diets.  But It appears to me that the protein craze is once again largely a product of Madison Avenue.  The recommendations are data free–and science has little to do with it.