Since when did we all become protein obsessed? 

Oh my goodness gracious me, don’t I miss the days where I didn’t have to think about how much protein was in my food. Honestly, last year I noticed myself loosing joy for meals because I was so focused on hitting my protein goals and almost fixating on this key food group. I noticed I was losing my joy around mealtimes and losing my intuitive eating nature.

Don’t get me wrong, protein is KEY and it typically is the central element to each of my meals, it should not be neglected, but I feel like there has been so much food shaming and protein pushing on social in the last year, that sometimes I felt guilty if I just wanted to swap out my Niçoise for a simple gazpacho for lunch, or swap my omelette with kefir for a coconut yoghurt bowl for breakfast. And that wasn’t right… it didn’t make me feel good, I felt shame and like I let myself down, when I was simply being intuitive. 

Food is supposed to be enjoyed as well as nourishing, it’s time to focus on consuming protein but not obsessing over it, and if I don’t hit my protein goals one day, knowing that that is totally fine, nothing bad will happen, although I aim to joyfully meet protein goals, I accept it’s about consistency, not perfection. 

By focusing so much on protein we also stop enjoying other food groups such as healthy fats, complexed carbs and fiber, which are all key to healthy metabolism, happy hormones and strong cognitive function. The way we eat and the way we approach food should not feel ridged, or have emotional consequences, we should aim for a varied, balanced diet, focusing on a variety of different foods, flavours, nutrients and macros.

All photography by Camila Urreaa

Looking back there was definitely a handful of evenings that I thought ‘oops, I’ve not eaten enough protein today, I better have some greek yoghurt or a piece of parmesan with my Ombar chocolate’ when in reality I just wanted the bloody chocolate!! And the stress around eating enough protein, actually increased cortisol levels, disrupted my digestion and naturally put a damper on my mood… consider this your sign to ensure you are eating the amounts of protein your own body needs, but make sure you focus on variety, colour, diversity of nutrients, and don’t forget to give yourself some grace, don’t let the plate consume you.

Biggest hug,

Lottie x