Social media made protein a personality trait. Now people are exhausted
There, tucked under the shed, I would devour my favourite lunch.A few years later, I ditched the school autorickshaw and started cycling to school instead—a ride that took nearly an hour each way. Like every other desi mom, my mother would never let me step out of the house on an empty stomach. But with the morning rush of getting ready for school (and spending far too much time perfecting my puff hairstyle), breakfast was usually simple: a glass of milk sweetened with jaggery and a banana before I hopped on my bicycle and set off.It may sound silly, but most days we had simple, carb-heavy meals like every other Indian household, and only on weekends did we get a proper protein-packed, balanced lunch when my mum worked her magic in the kitchen and made chicken curry. Sunday lunches were usually either chicken or fish, since everyone was home together. Life felt happy because it was rich in carbohydrates. Despite a balanced diet being one of the most discussed topics in school, given my obsession with having a body like Jennifer Lopez, I never quite understood the importance of proper nutrition, and just having a protein-packed meal on weekends is not enough. It took the social media generation for me to realise the importance of protein and the wonders it does for the body. However, from protein cake and protein spaghetti to protein chips and more, everyday foods are now being rebranded through a protein lens. Digitally active users are increasingly bombarded with content that fixates on protein, with fitness creators and health experts frequently emphasising its importance. So much so that a simple “let’s have lunch” can quickly turn into a breakdown of protein counts on the plate. While these complex molecules are essential as the body’s fundamental building blocks, many millennials, Gen Z, and zillennials are reporting growing anxiety around not meeting their daily protein targets.
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