You walk into a store, looking through the aisles for a quick snack. You turn into the snack section to be met with “high protein chips” and “high protein cinnamon rolls.” Although the marketing for these items seem cool, the nutrition labels on the back say otherwise.

Many people prioritize their protein intake while neglecting other macro and micronutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. This makes their meals less balanced in terms of nutrition, lacking in vitamins and minerals.

Senior David Ramirez shares his insight on the protein craze going around.

“I think it’s stupid to take up like one macronutrient over the rest and prioritize that over getting in your full vitamins and everything that you need for the day,” Ramirez said.

Only consuming products that are high in protein and low in every other nutrient can lead to deficiencies, especially ones in vitamins and minerals, damaging our body’s ability to regulate our hormones and metabolism. If people continue to eat meals like this, it can harm them in the long run, creating various health problems.

Although getting your protein in is very helpful to ensure your muscles do not break down as well as keeping your skin and hair healthy, it should not be your sole focus.

Personal trainer Darion Craig at EOS Fitness tells us how he feels about protein consumerism.

“A lot of people are getting their protein intake or are just primarily looking at protein right now, so it’s getting people’s foot into the door, but that mixed connection could happen where they’re not paying attention to all types of macronutrients and not understanding protein,” Craig said.

There are millions of people online giving health advice on nutrition, prioritizing protein because you need it to build muscle. Most companies market off of this propaganda to make high protein supplements and snacks due to everything being said online. This might help people get the amount of protein they need, but they don’t fully understand how it helps their body.

They then start doing everything they can to eat a lot of protein while underfueling themselves with other macronutrients. People fall for “high protein, low fat” or “high protein, low calorie” without considering what they truly need for their bodies and their goals.

“Paying attention to one aspect in terms of protein is good, but you don’t want to neglect the other nutrients because that’s more missing pieces in your lifestyle,” Craig said.

Overlooking nutrients may seem harmless at first glance, but it can lead to chronic fatigue, hair loss, and other problems. It can also lead to underfueling in general, especially if you are physically active.

Senior Keysha Hernandez expresses the importance of eating all the macronutrients, not just protein.

“We need to stop neglecting everything else, like carbs, fiber and fats, especially healthy fats for women,” Hernandez said.

Carbohydrates and fats have been negatively marketed as harming our body. In reality, they help our body create energy throughout the day to help us feel our best. Although a surplus of unhealthy fats, such as trans and saturated fats can lead to health problems, it would only pose a threat if those are overconsumed. Our body needs healthy fats to regulate our cardiovascular health, store energy, and protect our organs.

Diet trends and marketing has classified any other macronutrient besides protein as “harmful” because it will lead to weight gain and inflammation in the body. However, this is not true as all macronutrients are beneficial to the body.

“I could actually argue that carbs are more important than protein. Everyone thinks that they’re bad for you, but you need them. I’m pretty sure that carbs might be more necessary for muscle building because of, like, energy,” Hernandez said.

Carbohydrates boost performance during high intensity exercises, whether that is weight lifting or cardio. They replenish muscle glycogen, which we need for recovery as well as maintaining intensity levels during our workouts. This makes sure our muscles do not break down in the future, using the fuel from food.

Most people don’t look at the ingredients in the food they’re buying, especially the ones labeled as “high protein.” These can have ingredients that are harmful to our bodies, such as seed oils and high-fructose corn syrup.

“They’re just looking that it says ‘high protein’ and forget about everything else. They don’t read the ingredients and see all like the oils they add,” Hernandez said.

Some of these ingredients can include additives, thickening agents, and gums, which can lead to digestive problems. It is better to focus on whole foods instead of macros all of the time, which will give you the most energy and health benefits.

“People should be eating a whole food, balanced, healthy diet, and half of the time you’re gonna get most of the vitamins you need,” Ramirez said.

This can help people get all the nutrients they need, especially if they are lacking in some areas. 90-95% percent of people in the United States do not meet their recommended daily dietary fiber intake of 25-30 grams. Increasing your fiber intake will result in better digestion and improved heart health. It will also improve blood sugar control and broaden the amount of vitamins and minerals you consume daily.

Instead of focusing on solely your protein intake, we should focus on creating healthy habits. Including all macronutrients will help us feel our best, especially if we are physically active.

“Protein is important, but so is everything else and we need to stop over consuming protein and remember that that just because something is high protein does not mean it’s healthy,” Hernandez said.