Big Protein Floods U.S. Stores as 10-15 Grams of Fiber Leave Diets Far Short

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 19

Protein-focused products now dominate U.S. grocery shelves and diet culture, with the report casting “proteinmaxxing” as a mainstream commercial and social phenomenon rather than a niche fitness fad.
Most Americans already consume about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight—roughly two-thirds from meat—while typical fiber intake is only 10 to 15 grams a day, well below USDA targets of 25 grams for women and 38 for men.
Food makers and influencers have amplified the shift by marketing protein bars, shakes, waters and reformulated staples, helped by decades of permissive labeling rules and nutrient-based health claims that favor processed “substitute” foods.
The report argues the craze extends earlier low-fat and low-carb cycles, reducing food to isolated nutrients and pushing consumers toward self-optimization, online wellness grifters and personalized diet ideologies.
That leaves broader drivers largely untouched: weak regulation, ultra-processed food marketing and economic pressures that make whole-food eating harder than buying convenient, protein-branded products.