They\u2019re hoping to capture the attention \u2014 and dollars \u2014 of American consumers with a growing appetite for protein.<\/p>\n
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A recent International Food Information Council survey found\u00a07 in 10 Americans\u00a0<\/a>say they\u2019re trying to include protein in their diets \u2014 an increase compared to previous years. And protein\u2019s popularity doesn\u2019t seem to be slowing anytime soon.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Department of Agriculture, unveiled new dietary guidelines in January, urging Americans to\u00a0prioritize protein at every meal<\/a>. A joint statement from the two departments said the move is part of a reset in dietary guidelines to put \u201creal food back at the center of the American diet.\u201d<\/p>\n The new guidelines increased the recommended daily protein intake from 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight to 1.2 to 1.6 grams.<\/p>\n At a media conference\u00a0announcing the changes<\/a>, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the changes are \u201cbased on science, not on dogma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe old protein guidelines were to prevent starvation and withering away,\u201d Makary said. \u201cThese new protein guidelines are designed for American kids to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n Nutrition experts across the country, though, have mixed feelings about the new emphasis on protein.<\/p>\n Getting enough protein<\/p>\n Protein, alongside carbohydrates and fats, is considered an essential nutrient \u2014 or macronutrient. Among its many uses, protein helps build, grow and repair the body.<\/p>\n The American diet is not lacking in protein, says Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford University.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty consistently for the last few rounds of the dietary guidelines updates, Americans have been a little short on calcium, potassium, fiber and vitamin D,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cProtein was not and has never been in that list of things that we\u2019re short of.\u201d<\/p>\n Gardner served on an expert advisory panel for two years, reviewing the nutritional literature and offering recommendations to U.S. officials as they drafted the new nutritional guidelines.<\/p>\n The recommendations were not taken into account, Gardner says, because it was suggested that panel members held conflicts of interest. He, for example, had conducted prior studies funded by Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat company. A new panel, selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., later drafted its own set of recommendations for the dietary guidelines. These experts, however, have been found to\u00a0have ties to the beef and dairy industries<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the hypocrisy there was mind-boggling that that was an excuse they used to dismiss our report,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n Under previous dietary guidelines, he said, Americans already consumed more than enough protein to meet their daily needs. Not only that, but Americans are among the\u00a0highest per-capita meat consumers<\/a>; which is why Gardner says it\u2019s \u201cbizarre\u201d that the new guidelines emphasize protein intake so much.<\/p>\n \u201cIt comes at a very disturbing time,\u201d Gardner said, \u201cbecause anybody who\u2019s living and breathing and walks in a store to buy food has seen (that) everything seems to be marketed for having protein or adding protein to candy bars.\u201d<\/p>\n Corey Geiger, a dairy economist for CoBank, a national credit lender specializing in rural infrastructure and agribusiness, has some thoughts as to why this demand is rising.<\/p>\n For several years, Geiger said, the protein trend has been picking up momentum on TikTok and other social media platforms. But, he added, it\u2019s more than a social media trend, it\u2019s now part of a political agenda.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly more recently, the MAHA movement has amplified what has been taking place in Americana,\u201d Geiger said.<\/p>\n Geiger\u00a0co-authored a study<\/a>\u00a0on how companies can cash in on the growing demand for protein. Brands can command a 12 percent price premium for products that claim to be protein-rich, the study found.<\/p>\n And companies are indeed taking advantage of that price premium by offering their own protein-enriched products.<\/p>\n Pushing consumers to reach for protein<\/p>\n Cleveland Clinic dietitian Julia Zumpano says it\u2019s true that companies will take advantage of protein\u2019s popularity to push products that promise more protein, even if people don\u2019t need it.<\/p>\n![\"Starbucks](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/starbuks.jpg\")
A sign at the entrance of a Starbucks drive-thru in Moorhead, MN advertises the brand\u2019s new protein-rich drink lineup on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval\/Harvest Public Media<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cereal.jpg\")
A Cheerios cereal box lineup touts its enhanced protein properties at a local grocery store in Moorhead, MN, on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval\/Harvest Public Media<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pyramid.jpg\")
The updated Food Pyramid, unveiled in January, puts meat, cheese and vegetables at the top. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\/U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/p>\n