Ah, protein. Has a food group ever experienced such a rebrand as protein? Once synonymous with gym bros mainlining egg whites and blended chicken, the macronutrient has since become a hot favourite among literally everyone, from nutritionists to Gen Alpha TikTokers to mums making protein shakes for their toddlers. Protein fever has accelerated so much, in fact, that the food pyramid has been flipped upside down with – you guessed it: protein right at the top.
But what’s the deal with protein, anyway? Why can I not escape the word, even in 2026, when other words like “fibremaxxing” and “ear seeds” are also jostling for attention? Well, it turns out there’s proof in the protein pudding. According to experts, protein is essential for tissue repair, skin benefits, healthy ageing, hormone balance, muscle regeneration and staying full for longer. “Most of us do not get enough protein,” biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, also known as the Glucose Goddess told us. “We need roughly a gram of protein per pound of body weight.”
All of that sounds very convincing. Still, I like to try things out for myself before I start spreading the message and gathering disciples. To that end, to kick the year off, I decided to go on a high protein diet for two weeks to see what gives. And while I didn’t count or measure the protein content religiously, I did aim for roughly 75 to 90g of protein per day.
Days one to five
The first week was the easiest. I didn’t need persuading to start my days off with two eggs on buttery wholewheat toast with a sprinkle of cheese and I looked forward to the evenings, when I could have chicken in various formats (Gochujang chicken and rice, lemon and herb chicken and butterbean mash, jerk chicken with green beans and more rice). By the fifth day, however, I got tired of chicken and went for one of the best beef burgers I’ve had in recent memory (clocking in around 20g of protein), followed by what was essentially a giant profiterole (not very “protein” of me, but it contained dairy!).
Days five to 10
There were two things I noticed at this stage. One was that I didn’t want any more chicken or eggs (the latter, especially, started to give me the ick. What even are they?). The other was that I was beginning to feel a bit… solid. Like a human rock. And also bored. I realised that perhaps I was approaching my high protein diet in ways that were fairly unimaginative and uniform. And so, I started opting for meals based around other types of protein, like salmon, prawns, chickpeas, feta and lentils, with lots of Greek yoghurt on the side. At one point, I made a Malaysian curry crammed with cockles (a type of shellfish), an underrated protein source. Going high protein, I realised, didn’t have to involve eating like someone embroiled in the manosphere. High protein diets can also entail plenty of colour and fibre! Thank God.
Days 10 to 14
Now that I’d switched up the variety on my plate, my high protein diet became not just easier, but more enjoyable. I also started noticing a few of the benefits, such as: never feeling hungry in between meals, having a decent amount of energy by the end of a work day, sleeping through the night and not noticing any new breakouts whatsoever. I was eating less throughout the day, but more efficiently, which meant that I didn’t randomly get hungry at 11pm and raid the fridge for weird cheese snacks. Nor did I have to battle that 2pm slump by shoving candy into my mouth. In fact, the slump never arrived.
One thing I would say is that, aside from a few brisk walks, I wasn’t working out a lot during this time, which probably wasn’t ideal. It felt odd to be chowing down on so many muscle-building foods without, you know, building any muscle. There were also times in which I literally just fancied pasta and olive oil or a small salad and didn’t want to tuck into yet another meat, cheese or bean-based meal (let a girl have her crisps and salsa!). Even so, after all of this, I do actually feel swayed to stick to a semi-high protein diet from now on, just not with the strictness of the past two weeks. Oh and I should probably move around a bit also. One thing at a time.
