Growing up with an older brother meant you couldn’t tell my family’s kitchen from a well-stocked GNC: Tubs of whey protein and creatine with in-your-face labels (Ripped! Flex! Shred!!!) lined the top of our fridge. Like any kid with a teen sibling, I wanted in, but when I asked if I could sample his cookies-and-cream-flavoured concoctions, I was told they’d make me “bulky” — the exact opposite of the waifish bodies I saw in the pages of my beloved Teen Vogues.
I never thought about protein-maxxing again until recently, when women started to be aggressively encouraged via social media to prioritize our protein intake. Perimenopausal? Better hop on that boiled-egg train while you still have some muscle mass to lose. Post-menopausal? Respectfully, unless you’re eating double your body weight in cottage cheese daily, you’re doomed.
How the protein push began
In 2025, wellness influencers casually drop affiliate links to protein bars and supplements that look like Glossier beauty products with sleek, chic packaging to complement their sad beige esthetics. Gwyneth Paltrow, notorious for her restrictive diets over the years, has lately been cooking up high-protein breakfasts such as a plate of homemade turkey sausage with fried eggs. This past spring, Khloé Kardashian launched her own protein popcorn, called Khloud.
The big protein push extends beyond social media echo chambers. It’s out and thriving in the wild (or health food stores), from Greenhouse Juice’s latest Protein Matcha Shake, which packs 20 grams of pea and rice protein, to jacked up versions of baked goods that pack more protein than an unseasoned chicken breast. Protein pop tarts? That’s propaganda I’m not falling for.
So how did we get to the point where protein is being shoved down our throats at every turn? Toronto-based nutrition coach and certified personal trainer Karen Michelle Moreira noticed the shift around 2020, when experts in women’s physiology began talking about research on protein on TikTok, specifically Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Dr. Stacy Sims (known for her “Women Are Not Small Men” TED Talk in 2019).
“They started blowing up on social media because they were talking about women’s health in a way nobody else was,” Moreira said. “They were saying, this is the science behind why women need to have protein, what it does for you, how it affects you in perimenopause and how it affects you in menopause — and so many more women started paying attention.”
This conversation was propelled by the relatively recent advancements in our understanding of women’s bodies. “There’s just been more research and discussion in the academic world and also of course the media around perimenopause, around women’s health, for once,” said Abbey Sharp, a Toronto-based registered dietitian, podcast host and co-founder of Neue Theory, a line of supplements that includes a protein powder. “Unfortunately, we as women have been grossly under-represented in research to date, especially when it comes to nutrition research.”
Why protein, why now
Protein was ripe for a surge for a few reasons. It has never been vilified by “nutritional fear-mongering” the way other macronutrients like carbs and fats have in the past, Sharp pointed out. And because protein can help with weight loss and blood sugar control, she believes its rise aligns with the current era of GLP-1s such as Ozempic. “There’s generally more talk about weight loss because we’ve seen the pendulum swing from the anti-diet, body-positivity space, and it’s moved in the other direction toward very rapid weight loss. How do you support that weight loss? Protein really is the most important piece.”
It jibes with the increased emphasis on strength training for women. “Women who started strength training in conjunction with Pilates, say, were realizing that they needed to refuel,” said Moreira. “And the way to achieve not only their strength goals but their esthetic goals was to fuel with protein.”
This can be seen in the popularity of “weightlifting girlies” sharing their high-protein What I Eat In a Day videos on TikTok. Sarah Mackay (@liftwsarah on TikTok), for example, is known for her overnight egg white oat recipes and daily protein goal of 150 grams — which she hits with nary a scoop of protein powder.
So what does protein actually do for our bodies? When I asked Sharp this question, I started to wonder if I’d be done sipping my protein shake before she finished listing off its benefits, which include muscle maintenance and growth, blood sugar stabilizing, promoting satiety or a feeling of fullness, calcium retention, boosting metabolism and supporting immune health.
Protein is especially important during menopause, said Megan Scarth, a clinical dietitian at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. When estrogen levels dip, many women experience a decline in bone and muscle mass, which can raise the risk of osteoporosis and frailty. Adequate protein, especially when paired with strength training, can help.
How much protein do women actually need?
Health Canada recommends adult women consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Most women are already meeting this goal, said Scarth, who points to recent evidence showing that menopausal and post-menopausal women may reap more benefits from getting 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight.
Per Sharp, women looking to maintain bone and muscle mass and reduce fat gain around the midsection should aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, people who lift weights on the regular or are training for a running event require 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Calculating all those grams can be confusing, so Moreira likes to make it simple. “Clients are busy, they’re moms or CEOs and they’re not thinking about the weight of a chicken breast.” She advised that the amount of protein on your plate at every meal should be around the size of your hand, from the top of the middle finger to the bottom of the palm (or 1.5 to two handfuls if you’re strength training).
Once we go beyond 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, research suggests the benefits begin to plateau. “Very active women may continue to see muscle growth benefits when consuming 1.2 to 2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, though we see diminishing returns at the higher end of that range,” said Scarth. Large amounts of protein may also crowd out other nutrients crucial for good health, such as calcium to preserve bone health, and fruit and vegetables, which have been linked to lower rates of cognitive decline. “I do think it’s important to look at the big picture of nutrition rather than putting most of our focus on one type of nutrient,” Scarth said.
Your protein intake should come from whole foods whenever possible, said both Moreira and Sharp. Animal-based protein contains all nine essential amino acids, which can make it easier for the body to digest (opt for sources like chicken, eggs and fermented dairy, as other animal proteins may have higher saturated fats) while plant-based proteins (beans, nuts, soy, etc.) offer up a wider range of nutrients. “Dietary patterns higher in plant-based proteins and fish are typically associated with reduced risk of heart disease,” added Scarth.
It’s a lot to digest (I’ll show myself out now).
The protein overwhelm
Nadine Araksi, 51, has been trying to incorporate more protein into her diet — alongside her 20-year-old son, whose goal is to bulk up. “There’s a lot of protein powder in my house right now,” she said, laughing.
Araksi, who writes about navigating menopause in her newsletter Permission Slip, enjoys the memes that say getting enough protein is basically a part-time job now. She feels the protein info onslaught on social media can be overwhelming during a generally stressful stage of life — in fact, she’s set settings to filter out ads related to fitness or body in an attempt to avoid many of these posts. “They make you feel like your muscles are going to slide into nothing and your bones are disintegrating into dust,” she said. “You can get sucked in to some pretty inaccurate information that seems compelling.”
Moreira often sees this overwhelm firsthand. “I have a client in her late 40s who says, ‘KM, if I hear one more person tell me to eat protein I’m going to break my phone,’” said Moreira. “I said to her, ‘Carmela, I know that you don’t want to hear it, but it’s so important!’”
To Carmela, and to all of us, she says it’s time to get used to it. “I think that this is actually just the start for women, because there’s so much that we’re learning about the importance of protein,” Moreira said. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere and I actually am really excited about the research that’s going to keep coming out, and how much more there is to learn.”
