The Daily • 26 August 2025

How America Got Obsessed With Protein

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Seemingly overnight, Americans have become obsessed with pumping as much protein as possible into every drink, snack and meal.

Elizabeth Dunn, a writer and contributor to The Times, explains the origins of this latest nutrition craze.

Guest: Elizabeth Dunn, a writer and contributor to The New York Times.

Background reading: 

  • The David bar, basically a protein Scud missile wrapped in gold foil, has had breakout success. But can the trend last?

  • Read a fact-check about some of the big claims made about protein.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: David Chow for The New York Times

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