Protein is essential—but more isn’t automatically better. Look beyond the marketing, eat for variety, and remember that food provides the building blocks; your body still has to do the work.
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Protein has gone from being an essential nutrient to one of the biggest marketing buzzwords in the supermarket. This week on After Hours with Dr Vincent, Stephen and I ask whether our obsession with “high protein” is actually making us healthier. Protein absolutely matters: it supports tissue repair, muscle maintenance and countless functions throughout the body. But putting extra protein into a cereal, chocolate bar or processed snack doesn’t magically transform it into a healthy food. And protein alone doesn’t build muscle—movement and resistance training create the demand for repair, while food supplies the materials your body needs to do it.
We also take a much bigger look at how humans have eaten protein throughout history, from seasonal and place-based food systems to the enormous variety now available in our supermarkets. The lesson is surprisingly simple: variety matters more than dietary tribalism. Rather than treating carnivore, vegan, keto, Paleo or “high protein” as an identity, build meals around diverse, recognisable foods and let plants occupy plenty of space on the plate. Meat, seafood, eggs and dairy can provide highly digestible protein, while legumes, nuts, seeds and other plant foods bring fibre, healthy fats and phytochemicals. This issue also explores First Nations seasonal food knowledge and finishes with a seeded cottage-cheese loaf delivering roughly 8–10 grams of protein per slice.
With my best
Dr Vincent
PS. Yes I know, we accidentall skip an issue! Sorry!
After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
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