Trigger warning: reference to diet culture
In the early 2000s, carbs were out. The Atkins and keto diet began to spread across the Western world, promising to provide the most efficient route to losing weight and achieving the ultimate lean build. Best summarised by Kate Moss’ infamous quote, ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’, the world began to idolise the look of a skeletal supermodel, hoping to achieve the grimly named ‘heroin chic’ look. Then, with the arrival of the 2010s, curves came into fashion and the desire for skinniness took a slight backseat, with a new focus on being the healthiest version one can be, with the aid of intermittent fasting, superfoods and juice cleanses. Now, it seems that we are witnessing a collision of these two eras: extreme skinniness is certainly rearing its head on the Hollywood scene, but people are also heavily prioritising the quality of what they put into their bodies. And above all else, there is one food type that has become the indisputable star of the show. The 2020s, it seems, is the era of protein.
In comparison to other trends in food and diet culture over the years, this one is definitely on the tamer side. After all, protein is indeed an essential part of any healthy human diet, and an effort to consume more of it will only promote muscle growth and repair. While the juice cleanses and keto diets place a focus on consuming less, the Western world’s newfound obsession with protein is less interested in how much we are eating, and more in what we are eating. This is indicative of a movement encouraging us to grow, rather than shrink, and goes hand-in-hand with the ‘gym bro’ lifestyle. As anyone even half-committed to the gym and/or nutrition can tell you, the two essentials to growing muscle are lifting weights, and eating enough protein. Therefore, it appears that protein’s popularity derives from a piqued interest in building bodies that are strong and resilient, rather than small and slender. Most would agree that this is certainly the lesser of two evils, and a focus on protein consumption is no bad thing. However, as with all food trends, moderation is essential, as is the importance of remembering that food is also for enjoyment, not just performance.
Given the current health and wellness climate, this prioritisation of ‘the strong body’ really comes as no surprise. Only a few decades back, the average twenty-something weekend consisted of getting drunk on the Saturday and ordering a hungover takeaway on the Sunday. Now, many young people opt for a morning pilates class, followed by a nutritious brunch, and there is an ever-growing pool of people dedicated to hyrox competitions, marathon running and iron man races. It is no exaggeration to say that Gen-Z might be one of the most fitness-focussed generations ever to exist, with clubbing culture and takeaway runs being slowly overtaken by early-morning gym sessions and macro-friendly recipes. Some have complained that this fitness focus represents a depressing rejection of the fun and whimsy of being young, whilst others have complimented the young’s commitment to championing their health and wellness. Either way, this wave of athleticism doesn’t seem to be petering out any time soon, and protein is holding strong as its captain.
Is the protein thing overhyped, though? Given how much discourse it receives online, it can be difficult to figure out where the ‘normal’ lies amidst the protein party, and how much we actually need to be consuming. The general advice is as follows: 0.75g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day for standard health, and at least 1.4g per kilogram for those wishing to build muscle. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that, but it also doesn’t need to be complicated at all. Most people hit that 0.75 quota without even trying, so unless you are intent on building muscle, protein isn’t really something you need to be worrying about. With its widespread influence across social media, it’s easy to overestimate the necessity of increasing your protein intake, when most people are probably doing just fine as they are. As we know, the very nature of trends is that they pass: something that was so important today can easily be kicked to the curb tomorrow.
So then, what’s next in line? Is it time for carbs to finally be cool? Or will dairy be the one to take centre-stage? Both are doubtful; the demonisation of carbohydrates is far too ingrained in our society, and too many of us are lactose intolerant for dairy to become a widespread sensation. Instead, it seems that fibre is next in, with conversations about gut health and microbiomes already gaining traction online. Again, this one doesn’t seem too negative, and will probably provide some helpful advice for the IBS community. The main downside is that this means that beans will probably be coming firmly back into fashion, as they are highly fibrous. Well, at least they’re good for your heart, and we can just forget about the second half of the rhyme for now.
