Today, Explained: "Packing in Protein"

Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Noel King
Guest: Chris Gayomali (Writer, Author of the "Heavies" health and wellness newsletter)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the current "protein obsession" sweeping through health, fitness, and mainstream food culture in the U.S. Host Noel King sits down with journalist Chris Gayomali to explore why everyone—from pro athletes to everyday Instagram users—is packing in more protein, how this trend took off, the history behind protein-rich foods and supplements, the role of industry marketing, and the science and products shaping this movement. The episode weaves personal anecdotes, historical context, industry innovations, and critical questions about nutrition and processed foods, providing a balanced look at America’s continuing love affair with protein.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Protein Craze: Personal and Cultural Perspectives

• Chicken Smoothies & Extreme Measures

  • Noel and Chris open with banter about the lengths people go to "get more protein," including viral internet fads—like blending chicken breast into smoothies.
  • Quote:
    • Chris: “I had this, like, venti sized chicken smoothie that I had to drink all myself because I can’t waste anything in my house.” (00:39)

• Post-Pandemic Fitness Surge

  • Chris explains his own entry into “protein obsession”: gyms reopened after lockdowns, sparking renewed fitness and a foray into health podcasts (Huberman Lab).
  • The increasingly urgent message: "You're not getting enough protein." (02:42)

2. History: How Protein Powders Took Over

• From Wartime Waste to Wellness Craze

  • Industrial cheese production created excess whey, historically a byproduct fed to animals or dumped.
  • Environmental laws (1970s) forced manufacturers to repurpose this “waste” into consumable products. Microfiltration made it drinkable as whey powder.
    • Quote:
      • Chris: “You can take existing garbage essentially and sell it to people.” (06:17)
  • The rise of plant protein (soy, pea, hemp, etc.): similar process of extracting and isolating proteins from byproducts of other industries.

• Pop Culture Catalysts

  • Pumping Iron (1977)—the Schwarzenegger bodybuilding doc—popularized the pursuit of muscle and protein.
  • Brands realized a lucrative market: “people just really wanted protein and to look like the Terminator.” (05:29)

3. Protein Product Innovation & Science

• Wild New Protein Foods

  • Chris taste-tests unconventional protein products, like protein soda ("Feisty"), speaking with the founder—a non-athlete designer turned fitness drink entrepreneur.
    • Quote:
      • Feisty founder: “Hydrolyzed pea protein... dissolves in water as clear. And I was like, why does no one put this in a soda? This is cool.” (08:24)

• The Science of Plant Proteins

  • Interview with food scientist Dr. David Julian McClemmonson (University of Massachusetts): explains how plants become protein isolates for “fake meats” and fortified foods.
    • Memorable aside: Chris admits squeamishness with plant-based meats that mimic animal products—“just be yourself, burger.” (09:58)

4. Why Protein, Why Now? Demand vs. Supply

• Never Demonized, Always Desired

  • Compared to fat and carbs, protein has escaped diet trends' stigma.
    • Quote:
      • Chris: “Protein’s kind of like the Dolly Parton of macronutrients. We can all agree she’s pretty great.” (11:08)
  • Shift from bodybuilding/male fitness space to broader appeal—Instagram is full of high-protein recipes and tips from women.

• Fitness Culture Goes Mainstream (and Female)

  • Influencers and experts (e.g. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon) broaden message—more protein for all, especially women and aging adults.
    • Quote:
      • Dr. Lyon: “There is not one macronutrient more important to an aging individual than protein.” (12:31)
    • Chris, on Lyon: “She looks like she could deadlift like a Miata.” (12:39)

• GLP-1 Drugs & Changing Food Industry

  • The Ozempic, Mounjaro, and GLP-1 weight loss drug boom spurs food companies to create higher-protein options for customers with reduced appetites.
  • Example: Nestlé launching GLP-1-aligned frozen foods; General Mills updating Wheaties with more protein. (13:28)

5. Inside General Mills: Making Everything Protein-Rich

• Corporate Secrecy & Invention

  • Chris visits General Mills HQ; describes the R&D to create protein-rich versions of Wheaties and other staples.
  • Challenge: adding protein (wheat germ, soy isolate) without sacrificing taste/texture; takes dozens of iterations and lots of secrecy—“Illuminati levels.”
    • Quote:
      • Chris: “They rolled out all these different versions over the years in little glass containers, kind of like little, I don’t know, Jurassic Park embryos.” (19:49)

• How Is Protein Added?

  • The process often involves manipulating ingredient composition at a “granular level,” balancing macros, and masking taste with sweeteners, nuts, flavors, etc.

6. Processed Protein Foods: Healthy Fix or New Junk Food?

• Ultra-Processed Debate
  • Noel admits unease: “None of this is stuff that I could find in my own kitchen... Are we just eating junk food?” (21:11)
  • Chris’s pragmatic view: “It’s still junk. But it’s kind of a lesser evil... it’s actually really useful for people who are maybe a little bit older and they’re dealing with age related muscle loss.” (21:32)
  • Convenience and practical needs mean processed protein isn’t going away, but “maybe we should be getting our protein from whole sources.”

7. Are We Getting Too Much Protein?

• How Much Is Enough?
  • Chris: “RDA is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Most people probably aren’t getting enough, especially if you work out... protein is the source of our cellular healing.” (23:07)

8. The Big Picture: What Protein Mania Reflects About Our Culture

• Nutrition Literacy & Skepticism

  • Americans have gotten smarter—once blindly following food pyramids loaded with bread, now more discerning but also more subject to fads and misinformation.
  • Navigating between valid science and influencer marketing is a "personal calculation."
    • Quote:
      • Chris: “If eating a little bit more protein helps you feel good, then by all means do it. I’ve personally started eating double the amount... I feel pretty good and not too terrible with myself.” (24:28)

• Results:

  • “My muscles are so brolic right now, dude.” (25:05)
    (Brolic: musclebound, in urban slang)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of protein fads:
  • “I blend chicken twice a day. What? What?” – (Bodybuilder, cited by Chris, 03:15)
• On protein’s image:
  • “Protein is the Dolly Parton of macronutrients.” – Chris, (11:08)
• On influencer culture and gender:
  • “I go on Instagram and the ladies are serving me protein.” – Noel, (11:25)
• On industrial secrecy:
  • “It was like, Illuminati levels of secrecy for all these cereal sh*t.” – Chris, (19:58)
• On pragmatic health choices:
  • “It’s kind of a lesser evil situation to my mind.” – Chris, (21:32)

Key Timestamps

• 00:02–00:53: The lengths people go to for protein (from shakes to chicken smoothies)
• 02:18–03:33: Chris’s protein journey; influence from gyms and health podcasts
• 03:42–07:26: Industrial origins of whey protein; rise of plant proteins; “selling garbage”
• 07:26–08:44: Quirky new products (protein sodas) and the entrepreneurs behind them
• 08:46–10:08: Science of extracting plant protein; lab fake meats and “just be yourself, burger”
• 10:16–12:39: Protein’s image, gendered marketing, and fitness culture’s mainstreaming
• 13:06–14:22: GLP-1 drugs’ impact on protein-forward food offerings
• 17:59–20:04: Inside General Mills: the science and secrecy behind protein-enriched foods
• 21:11–22:39: Are we just eating (protein) junk food?
• 23:07–23:32: How much protein do we actually need?
• 23:56–25:05: Reflection on changing nutrition fads, skepticism, and finding personal balance

Final Takeaways

• The protein boom has roots in post-WWII industrial processes and American ingenuity—transforming waste into nutrition.
• Pop culture, technology, and the influencer economy have made high-protein intake a mainstream, gender-inclusive obsession.
• Food companies and researchers are both meeting and fueling demand, using ever-more-sophisticated methods to protein-fortify staples and snacks.
• The convenience of processed protein products fills a real need, even as they raise questions about ultra-processed foods and optimal nutrition.
• In the end, there’s no substitute for individual inquiry and moderation—fads come and go, but “if eating a little bit more protein helps you feel good, then by all means do it.”

Guest Plug:
Check out Chris Gayomali's health and wellness newsletter, "Heavies," on Substack.

Producer Credits:
Produced by Gabrielle Burbe; edited by Aminah Elsadi; engineering by Matthew, Billy, Andrea, and Kristen’s daughter; fact-checking by Laura Bullard.

Summary compiled for ease of understanding and to help you engage with the conversation even if you’ve missed the episode.