In the past, a 'healthy plate' was the determinant of what constitutes healthy eating. Today, as Ramya Kannan writes, that plate has been replaced by a single macro - protein. From reels recommending fish and chicken to protein shakes, and lately 'Profee' (protein and coffee), the online space has become a hyperactive protein-pushing zone.
The Physicians Association for Nutrition, India, in a White Paper released during National Nutrition Week, puts it bluntly: "Protein has become one of the most talked-about and most misunderstood topics in nutrition. Conversations are incomplete, labels and high-protein marketing are misleading."
The push has real clinical fallout. Priyadarshini Raju, dietitian at Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital, recounts a qualified professional on dialysis who consumed three to four whole eggs daily, plus 17-20 almonds and walnuts, because social media told him dialysis needs high protein. His potassium and phosphorus were dangerously high. A qualified dietitian could have explained plant vs animal potassium management.
The White Paper - Rethinking Protein in Plant-Based Diets - argues protein should be understood in context of a person's complete diet rather than reduced to grams, amino-acid scores or marketing claims. Indian Council for Medical Research recommends 0.83 grams per kg body weight for a healthy adult - about 50 grams for a 60kg adult. Yet influencers sell 100g a day as minimum.
As Chennai health coach Prasanthi Raju notes, "I wouldn't call protein the only source, but yes, there is a great deal of hype around protein now. You don't need to have protein written on the package of everything in the aisle."
Doctors agree: a diversified wholesome diet with high age-appropriate portion sizes and foods that are local, traditional and seasonal rather than packaged or processed would be ideal. The ICMR box says nutrition prescription should be guided by ABCDE - anthropometric measures, biochemical parameters, clinical signs, exercise type, medical history, food allergies.
The reel sells powder. The reality needs a plate of rice, dal, idli, sambar - and a doctor, not an algorithm, to tell you how much.