Protein has never gone out of style. While fat was demonized as the nutrient causing weight gain in the 1990s, followed by carbs in the 2000s, protein sat by the sidelines as the official people pleaser of the macro-nutrient world.
“You need essential amino acids in the diet in order to sustain life,” says Stefan Pasiakos, director of the Center for Human Performance Optimization at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Protein is needed for building and repairing muscle and tissues and helps support your immune system.
Protein stepped into the spotlight in recent years as keto and other high-protein diets took off. Health and fitness influencers started to push everyone to eat more muscle-building foods in every meal (deep-fried cottage cheese Doritos anyone?) The nutrient is so ubiquitous online that one influencer asks whether protein can leave him alone for five minutes.
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