When ‘Protein’ Became Marketing, Not Meaning
I did something I almost never do…
I went to Target the other day with my sons 🫣
Y'all know I don't go to big box stores, like, ever.
I should have stock in Instacart at this point.
Between the obnoxious cortisol-spiking artificial lights and the unconscious heads-down humans glued to their phones while operating objects on wheels, I rarely put myself in those situations.
But this was my once-a-year secular pilgrimage that I'm now finding quite enjoyable because I'm not impulsively buying but rather collecting data on human behavior (nerd alert!) and analyzing the latest food marketing trends.
And by the time we got to the food section on our way to checkout, we could not believe our eyes.
In fact my sons — the next generation of Green Door Life educated experts who know more about nutrition and exercise science than I ever did at their age and have been coaching their classmates and teachers for years about balanced meals, sleep quality, and light hygiene — were the ones to point out that everything was screaming at us:
PROTEIN.
Protein cereal.
Protein snacks.
Protein chips.
Even protein water.
I mean, the last time we went to Target, protein was popular… but this level of saturation was comical.
We could not stop laughing!
Every corner, every aisle display, every item that should not even have protein had big, bright, bold lettering: PROTEIN.
Front and center.
We started singing that funny song we found on IG a while ago,
“STOP putting protein in everything!!!!”
Followed by an epic air guitar riff.
Anyway, I had this moment where I just stopped and thought…
When did we start accepting the word “protein” as a shortcut for understanding whether something actually supports our body?
Because when you slow down and actually look closer, a lot of these products are still just processed foods, mostly carbs, fats, or carbs and fats, with a small amount of protein added.
And that matters more than most people realize.
My boys immediately flipped over these products to read the ingredient labels and apply their own knowledge to determine the accuracy of the “high protein” claims.
Talk about a proud mom moment!
Teaching true self-care knowledge like nutrition science and balanced eating skills to our children is just as important, in my opinion, as not passing down generational trauma.
In other words, it's great that we're not saying “finish your plate” or “nothing tastes as good skinny feels”, but it’s also our responsibility to guide the next generation in what health skills to actually implement and practice.
And it starts with us as the example.
How we cook.
How we eat.
How we talk about food.
How we treat and care for our own bodies.
Avoiding isn’t the solution.
We have to show up and demonstrate what is.
And as I was scanning one protein label after the other, I started having flashbacks to the fat-free craze that emerged in the late 1990s.
Cholesterol was rising.
Obesity was rising.
Food companies needed a new marketing angle, instead of addressing processed ingredients, excess calories, and an increasingly sedentary population.
So they made dietary fat the enemy.
All of a sudden, butter was “bad.”
Eggs were “bad.”
Not to mention, we were all simultaneously exposed to messaging like the D.A.R.E. campaign and the classic egg-frying commercial, “this is your brain on drugs.”
No wonder so many of us avoided eggs for decades, even though they are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
Like butter and eggs, everything became low fat.
And suddenly foods like SnackWells, Lean Cuisine, fat-free chips, and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray” were positioned as healthy.
But if you actually looked closer… they just removed the fat and replaced it with sugar, artificial ingredients, and weird lab creations like Olestra.
Only 80s and 90s kids will remember the fine print warning about "fat-free Olestra", after spending far too much time in the bathroom dealing with its side effects.
Because most food companies don’t exist to improve health.
They exist to make products that people will keep buying.
And the outcome of that era?
A massive swing toward high sugar, low fat diets… and over time, a rise in insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes on a much larger scale.
And now here we are again.
Different trend.
Same pattern.
The pendulum has swung.
We now understand that removing fat wasn’t the solution.
But swinging all the way in the other direction, just adding protein without regard to anything else, or eating higher fat without context, isn’t the solution either.
Because underneath all of these trends, the real issue hasn’t been addressed:
Most people have never been taught the fundamentals of nutrition science and metabolic science, which is essential as modern humans navigating nearly unlimited access to food while more sedentary than ever.
How metabolism actually works.
How energy balance works.
How to think about food in a way that supports your body long-term, even if (especially if!) you already eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods.
So, let me demystify protein simply, because this is where many get stuck:
Five Things to Know About Protein:
1. Not all protein is created equal
We don’t eat protein just to hit a number. We eat protein for amino acids, which your body must consume daily (we can't store them) in order to:
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build and maintain muscle
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support metabolism
-
regulate hormones
-
repair tissues
Why is protein so popular now?
The initial U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) for each nutrient, including protein, were established in 1941 to address concerns about nutritional deficiencies in military troops and civilians. It remained virtually unchanged at a measly .8 grams per kg of body weight (0.36 grams per pound of body weight) primarily aimed at preventing deficiency.
Finally, the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for adults introduced a higher, updated target protein range of to 1.2 - 1.6 grams per kg of body weight (.54 - .73 grams per pound of body weight) to support optimal health and muscle mass.
It took 85 years to change. And many practitioners, ourselves included, understand the nuance that you'll need even more protein if you're:
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In a fat loss phase, to protect muscle mass
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On a GLP-1 or combo peptide, to protect muscle mass
-
In a muscle building training phase, to support repair
-
Getting older (yes, you need more protein as you age, not less!)
-
Recovering from illness or surgery, to support repair
-
Under more stress than usual, as protein is a very grounding, stabilizing macronutrient
And guess what most packaged and processed foods have been missing?
Protein.
Guess what most packaged and processed foods contain?
Sugary carbs, "shelf-stable" fats, or a combination of both, which doesn't exist together in nature's whole food sources.
That's why food companies have finally caught onto the public's interest in protein: because we've been deficient in it for so long.
But of course, they're now using the buzz word protein in their labelling, and you as the consumer must become educated to see through the marketing.
You also need to know that:
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Animal proteins are complete, meaning they contain all essential amino acids.
-
Many plant proteins are incomplete, meaning you need more variety and intention (read labels!) to meet your needs.
-
Collagen is also an incomplete protein.
-
And many proteins in supplement form, even powders marketed for muscle building, may lack specific amino acids in the right ratios needed to effectively stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
That doesn’t make one “good” or “bad.”
It just means that you need to understand what you’re doing.
And honestly, my hope is that one day, labels evolve to reflect this.
Just like under carbohydrates, where we now differentiate between fiber and sugar, because they impact the body very differently…
I would love to see more nuanced context around protein.
Because right now, protein is all lumped into one number. But there is so much more depth and nuance to protein than just “this food has 10 grams.”
Where is the protein coming from?
Is it complete? Does it have all amino acids? If so, how much of each one?
How well can your body actually use it?
Those are the questions that also matter beyond the quantity of protein.
2. Your body doesn’t use all protein the same way
Just because something says “20 grams of protein” does not mean your body is fully absorbing all 20 grams.
DIAAS measures the digestibility of individual essential amino acids at the ileum (end of the small intestine), ensuring a more accurate measurement of human absorption.
Certain animal proteins are significantly more digestible and usable, while many plant-based or processed proteins are less so. This is all searchable, public information, but you're not going to find it on food labels.
That's why if most of your intake is coming from “protein products” coming from an incomplete plant source or collagen, you may not be getting as much protein as you think.
Again, this is not about good or bad, but rather science so you can make informed decisions.
Y'all know I eat plenty of animal protein but I'm equally obsessed with beans, other plant foods, fiber, and micronutrient optimization. Everyone is bio-individual and can meet their nutrient needs in a variety of ways.
3. The thermic effect of food + satiety matters
Whole food sources of protein like chicken, egg + egg whites, and lean steak are not only more bio-available (actually absorbed)...
They require more energy (calories) for your body to break down and digest than "protein water," which means, they also keep you fuller for longer.
Compare that to something like:
-
protein cereal
-
protein bars
-
protein bagels
Yes, they may contain protein…
But they’re still processed, digest quickly, and are often paired with higher carbs and/or fats. Which means:
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less satiety (fullness)
-
less metabolic impact
-
more likelihood of overeating
So you may end up eating “more protein”…
but still feeling hungry and are possibly eating more calories than usual.
4. More protein doesn’t always mean better results
Two common patterns I see all the time:
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High fat protein overload, where calories creep up quickly without realizing it
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Processed protein overload, where you’re eating “protein foods” but not actually feeling nourished
In both cases, people think they’re doing the right thing…
But they’re missing balance, caloric awareness, and context.
5. Protein is important… but it’s only one piece
Right now, protein is the loudest voice in the room.
But your body doesn’t run on protein alone.
You also need:
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fiber for digestion and blood sugar regulation
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complex carbohydrates for energy and thyroid support
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fats for hormones and satiety
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micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) from eating whole foods for optimal health and immune support
This is where nutrition has become completely oversimplified.
And if you zoom out, this is really the deeper issue:
The trends change, but the problem is the same.
Low fat → low carb → high fat → high protein → whatever comes next.
Underneath all of it is the root problem that most people have never actually been taught how to apply nutrition science understanding in the context of our strange modern lifestyles that are incongruent to our largely unaltered, ancient, animal DNA.
What we really need to focus on is:
→ the right amount, type, timing of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats), fiber, micronutrients, food quality, food quantity, calories, and more, per each bio-individual person per each unique stage and age of life.
But that's not a short, marketable buzzword that you can slap on a package.
I believe that if we want to continue to survive as a species, we must face the truth that we are living in a completely different environment than we were even 50 or 100 years ago.
We’re more sedentary.
We have constant access to food.
We have highly palatable options everywhere.
Even if you’re eating whole, ancestral foods…
Without awareness of things like energy intake, balance, and overall nutrition,
you can still end up stuck.
This is why we don’t just teach “eat whole foods” or “eat more protein.”
We teach how to think about food in a bio-individual context.
And I’ll be honest…
Standing there in Target, I didn’t feel confused.
I felt clear.
Because I’ve done the work to understand what actually matters.
But I remember what it felt like before that.
Standing in a store, trying to do the “right” thing…
reading labels… comparing options…
wondering if I was missing something.
That low-level mental load that follows you everywhere.
And this is exactly why I care so much about teaching this the way I do.
At The Green Door Life, everything we do is rooted in nutrition science.
Not trends.
Not opinions.
Not whatever is loudest on social media.
Not results of ridiculously small studies done in 18 year old "men" that don't apply in any way to women.
But real, foundational principles that explain why your body responds the way it does.
And inside Awaken Foundations, we take that science and make it simple enough to actually live.
No tracking.
No spreadsheets.
No perfection required.
Just a clear, practical way to understand:
-
what to eat
-
how to build your meals
-
and why it works
Because as modern women, living modern lives…
You don’t need extreme approaches.
You need a modern, grounded way to nourish your body
The trends change, but the problem is the same.
Low fat → low carb → high fat → high protein → whatever comes next.
Underneath all of it is the root problem that most people have never actually been taught how to apply nutrition science understanding in the context of our strange modern lifestyles that are incongruent to our largely unaltered, ancient, animal DNA.
What we really need to focus on is:
→ the right amount, type, timing of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats), fiber, micronutrients, food quality, food quantity, calories, and more, per each bio-individual person per each unique stage and age of life.
But that's not a short, marketable buzzword that you can slap on a package.
I believe that if we want to continue to survive as a species, we must face the truth that we are living in a completely different environment than we were even 50 or 100 years ago.
We’re more sedentary.
We have constant access to food.
We have highly palatable options everywhere.
Even if you’re eating whole, ancestral foods…
Without awareness of things like energy intake, balance, and overall nutrition,
you can still end up stuck.
This is why we don’t just teach “eat whole foods” or “eat more protein.”
We teach how to think about food in a bio-individual context.
And I’ll be honest…
Standing there in Target, I didn’t feel confused.
I felt clear.
Because I’ve done the work to understand what actually matters.
But I remember what it felt like before that.
Standing in a store, trying to do the “right” thing…
reading labels… comparing options…
wondering if I was missing something.
That low-level mental load that follows you everywhere.
And this is exactly why I care so much about teaching this the way I do.
At The Green Door Life, everything we do is rooted in nutrition science.
Not trends.
Not opinions.
Not whatever is loudest on social media.
Not results of ridiculously small studies done in 18 year old "men" that don't apply in any way to women.
But real, foundational principles that explain why your body responds the way it does.
And inside Awaken Foundations, we take that science and make it simple enough to actually live.
No tracking.
No spreadsheets.
No perfection required.
Just a clear, practical way to understand:
-
what to eat
-
how to build your meals
-
and why it works
Because as modern women, living modern lives…
You don’t need extreme approaches.
You need a modern, grounded way to nourish your body
that actually fits your life — kids, work, and whatever else included.
Awaken Foundations is for you (or someone you know!) if:
-
You feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition advice
-
You’re trying to “eat better” but don’t know what actually matters
-
You’ve increased your protein… but still feel stuck
-
You don’t want to track or obsess over food
-
You want a simple, grounded place to start that actually works
This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about finally understanding the basics in a way that clicks.
Early enrollment is open now at $333 through April 20.
If you (or a loved one) has been looking for a way to feel better in your body, without overcomplicating everything…
This is where we start.
👉 [Join Awaken Foundations by April 20th to save $222]
This is a 4-week live coaching experience for women only, designed to help you build the simple core habits that support energy, hormone balance, blood sugar stability, and long-term results.
You don’t need more “protein foods.” You need real meals, real understanding, and a simple way to apply it, and that’s exactly what we build inside Awaken Foundations.
💚 Lisa
NAMS Certified Nutrition Consultant | Quantum Biology, Hormones, and Mindset Certified Specialist
