A new diet and social media trend has people across the nation eating high amounts of protein to manage weight, build muscle and boost metabolism.
As the protein maxxing trend has exploded in popularity, more options have been popping up at restaurants, grocery stores and cafes, including Dunkin and Starbucks.
In addition to the trend, the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recently modified the nutritional guidelines for protein intake and suggested that Americans to “prioritize protein foods at every meal.”
The general adult protein recommendation has increased from 0.8 g/kg/day deficiency floor to 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day for most adults. And a third or more of adults ages 18 to 29 (37%) and 30 to 49 (35%) are adding protein supplements to their daily diet, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.
But like any maxxing trend, Connecticut experts are preaching moderation.
Danielle Sanders, a registered dietitian at Yale New Haven Health and a lecturer in Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said protein maxxing has been at the top of everyone’s social media posts for at least a year.
“I think we can get a little bit out of hand when we’re focusing on protein, although it is important to all of us,” Sanders said. “Protein is being added to everything and it seems that companies and brands are responding to the demand in the market.”
Sanders said the recent prominence of weight loss medications have also elevated the need for protein because those medications lead to increased muscle losses and brands are responding by incorporating more protein in their products.
According to Sanders, most Americans are already consuming an adequate amount protein in their diet but warns that for people with chronic kidney disease, too much protein can be dangerous.
Sanders said she encourages people to eat foods with both protein and fiber such as whole grains, beans and legumes. According to Sanders, most Americans aren’t consuming enough fiber, with research showing benefits from 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day.
She said with the changes in the USDA’s guidelines and the popularity of weight loss medications, protein maxxing is not going anywhere anytime soon.
“I always take trends with a grain of salt, and I do always try to promote the role of a registered dietitian and services for that or becoming increasingly available with lots of telehealth options,” Sanders said. “But I’d say that the best bet for most people is to speak with a dietitian and get some tailored guideline for their nutrition journey.”
Protein Milk is available at Dunkin’, giving guests a simple way to add protein to the drinks they already love.
(Business Wire)
Cashing in on the craze
“Protein has definitely become a trend and other beverage and coffee companies have come out with their protein mix,” said Manraj Parmar, the co-owner and operator of eight 7 Brew locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. “What’s unique really with what 7 Brew has is this particular protein you can mix with any drink. Whereas like some of the other companies out there, they have a foam that you can put on top of a drink or it’s very specific to where you can get it.”
Parmar said the protein, which is a liquid, can be mixed into an energy drink, tea or lemonade. One fluid ounce is 15 grams of protein. Parmar said he tries to limit it to two scoops.
“I think consumers are looking at the high protein kind of a diet. I don’t know if it’s, you know, GLP-1 driven or peptide driven, but there’s certainly a demand from a good segment of the population that wants to have supplement with protein. We think it’s going to be a success.”
Parmar said customers can tell the protein has a “earthy flavor” but doesn’t overpower the drink. “You get a sense like, OK, I’m definitely having protein, but I’m also enjoying my drink,” he said.
Starbucks introduced its protein menu in September 2025, which adds approximately 15–36 grams of protein per grande beverage with a line of protein cold foam and protein lattes with protein-boosted milk.
Dr. Christopher Barrett, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Hartford HealthCare, said protein maxxing is coming off the tail end of the carnivore diet, with both focused on consuming higher protein intakes.
“We’ve previously seen this with the ketogenic diet in which the overall fat content was greater than 80% of the total calories,” Barrett said. “Another example is when individuals consume no animal products as a vegan. Both can be used as dietary structure and in different scenarios, but many social media influencers take these out of context and incorporate these diets into inappropriate scenarios to the masses.”
Barrett said protein maxxing is a positive for those looking to lose weight and increase body mass in combination with resistance training.
“Protein does a really good job with increasing satiety and has a high thermic effect. These are both critical components to a weight loss effort. The thermic effect of food is essentially how many calories you spend processing/absorbing and using these food items. Fat and carbohydrates have a lower thermic effect on food,” Barrett said. “The increase in satiety is also a major factor as many individuals will feel fuller after a meal which is higher in protein which will lead to less snacking or eating larger portions.”
According to Barrett, protein typically comes along with dietary fat which can be calorically dense. He noted that protein maxxing may not be the best for those with “a genetic preposition or lifestyle choices leading to a high LDL cholesterol” because they may not consider the fat content of the protein.
“Many people will generically say they are increasing their protein to their diet; however, protein sources vary drastically in relation to other nutrient components,” Barrett said. “For example, you can consume non-fat Greek yogurt (plain not added sugar) is extremely lean with minimal fat or you may consume a rib-eye steak while still aiming for 21 grams of protein. However, they are not aware that along with that 21 grams of protein will also come along with dietary fat. Which can be calorically dense as well as may carry more saturated fat which can influence cholesterol values and overall cardiovascular health.”
Healthy food high in protein include meat, fish, dairy products, nuts and beans.
Protein pros and cons
Barrett noted that the recent modifications regarding protein by the USDA have made protein more of a priority for some.
“I believe it has influenced more people to incorporate more proteins to their diet, however many Americans are meeting or exceeding their overall protein intake with their current intake,” Barrett said. “This was typically seen in relation to the overall cardiovascular health of America as many individuals would consume higher fat protein items leading to cardiovascular issues.
“It should also be highlighted that visually the dietary guidelines focuses on higher fat protein sources like whole milk, red meats, eggs and others, which are elevated in saturated fat and per the written documentation of the new dietary guidelines has not changed from previous versions as it recommends less than 6% of your total calories coming from saturated fat,” he said.
Nikki Santillo, a registered dietitian at the Middlesex Health Surgical Alliance, works with people who are pursuing medical weight loss or patients healing after surgery and those who need increased protein.
“With weight loss in general, there’s definitely the risk of losing your muscle mass because you can’t target specifically just trying to lose your fat mass versus lean mass. Muscle is part of your lean mass, but to counteract that or prevent large muscle losses. That’s where the protein comes in. But in addition to protein, we do encourage resistance training because you can’t just eat plenty of protein and expect muscle preservation. You do also need to add a load to the muscle,” Santillo said.
She added if the goal is to build muscle, suffering from malnutrition or a burn victim, those cases call for more protein. Those with kidney disease do not need an excess of protein because “a byproduct of protein breakdown is filtered through your kidneys, and you wouldn’t want to put too much strain on your kidneys.”
She also added that protein should not come at the expense of other important food components like carbohydrates through fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains. She also mentioned the importance of having a variety of foods at meals including fiber.
Like the other experts, Santillo said to consult a nutrition professional before trying a social media trend.
“I think a lot of times we try to make things more complex, but really kind of simplifying things, having a well-balanced plate, but still incorporating your protein just so that you are getting in all of your nutrients for the day,” Santillo said.
Metabolic nutrition and weight loss expert Lisa Lynn, best known as Martha Stewart’s personal trainer for nearly 20 years, is also the owner of LynFit Nutrition. Her specialty is weight loss, especially in women in menopause and beyond.
The Connecticut native said protein maxxing has been around since she entered the nutrition field 37 years ago, but she called it “microdosing your protein.”
“How do you do this the right way without hurting your body. When I was training Martha, she was struggling. She never really had to watch her weight until she hit menopause, and she was starving herself doing what every woman does, including myself. We either eat the wrong thing, or we don’t eat at all. And neither are good for your health,” Lynn said.
Lynn said she began looking into protein and microdosing it because it can be really hard on the kidneys when it’s not done right.
“I started to create products, only because some of the things that are available out there are loaded with stuff that add insult to injury,” Lynn said. “And when you’re protein maxxing, if you’re not careful, all you do is overload your kidneys. You know, you end up with blockages in your body, weight gain, which is the exact opposite reason, most people protein max.”
“As a clinical nutritionist and scientist, I always stick to the science, not the trends. There’s a lot of TikTok misinformation and fake news,” she added. “Protein has what’s called a protein efficiency ratio. That means how easily does your body absorb this? The number one best form of protein on the planet, now and forever, it’s been for 37 years is whey protein, which is not easy to find.”
Lynn said she made an oath to help people avoid the pitfalls she fell in during her 20s, buying every product that ended up messing up her metabolism, health and blood sugar.
“I was doing every other diet, every other workout, following every trend, which would now be TikTok,” Lynn said. “I tell people, get brilliant at the basics, focus on those good proteins, call it maxxing if you will. It’s really proper protein is what I prefer to call it, and get your leafy green salads in and the rest will take care of itself. You won’t need prescription medications, 90% of the people that are dealing with health or heart issues. Most of them can be corrected with a cleaner diet.”
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