Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a high-ranking official in the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" movement, has declared an end to the non-existent "War on Protein." This statement, part of the federal government's 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines, prioritizes protein intake at every meal and recommends consuming saturated fats found in full-fat milk, butter, and beef tallow.
Kennedy's assertion that a "war on protein" is being waged ignores the reality that Americans have long been consuming more than enough protein. In fact, most men are eating twice as much protein as they need, according to experts. The new dietary guidelines reflect this surge in protein demand, which has been driven by factors such as the growing popularity of weightlifting for both men and women and targeted marketing campaigns from food companies.
Kennedy's push for increased protein consumption serves a purpose beyond nutrition: it aligns with the broader MAGA movement's emphasis on traditional masculinity, physical fitness, and body image. This vision of masculinity is associated with strength, agency, and high performance - qualities that are closely tied to meat consumption.
Critics argue that this reworking of dietary guidelines is part of a larger effort to project an aspirational form of masculinity by playing into long-held cultural perceptions around food and gender. The emphasis on animal proteins is seen as a way to tie the president's broader political movement into traditional notions of manhood, which prioritize meat consumption, fire, cooking outdoors, and physical strength.
The notion that there was ever a "war on protein" - an idea Kennedy himself acknowledges is baseless - serves as a rhetorical device. By ending this non-existent war, he reinforces his administration's vision of masculinity, fitness, and health, all tied to the consumption of high-protein diets rich in animal products.
Kennedy's assertion that a "war on protein" is being waged ignores the reality that Americans have long been consuming more than enough protein. In fact, most men are eating twice as much protein as they need, according to experts. The new dietary guidelines reflect this surge in protein demand, which has been driven by factors such as the growing popularity of weightlifting for both men and women and targeted marketing campaigns from food companies.
Kennedy's push for increased protein consumption serves a purpose beyond nutrition: it aligns with the broader MAGA movement's emphasis on traditional masculinity, physical fitness, and body image. This vision of masculinity is associated with strength, agency, and high performance - qualities that are closely tied to meat consumption.
Critics argue that this reworking of dietary guidelines is part of a larger effort to project an aspirational form of masculinity by playing into long-held cultural perceptions around food and gender. The emphasis on animal proteins is seen as a way to tie the president's broader political movement into traditional notions of manhood, which prioritize meat consumption, fire, cooking outdoors, and physical strength.
The notion that there was ever a "war on protein" - an idea Kennedy himself acknowledges is baseless - serves as a rhetorical device. By ending this non-existent war, he reinforces his administration's vision of masculinity, fitness, and health, all tied to the consumption of high-protein diets rich in animal products.
i mean whats next? are we gonna start hating on carbs or something? lol no seriously though this whole thing sounds super sketchy to me and like theyre trying to make people feel guilty about eating what they want. and can we talk about how silly the name "Make America Healthy Again" is? its just code for "lets make america meat-loving again" 
️
what a load of nonsense 
. it's like they're trying to turn eating into some kind of macho display 
. protein is already super abundant in the us diet, so who cares if we eat more or less? and btw, isn't this just another way to sell more meat? 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... Like, isn't the whole point of dietary guidelines to help people make healthy choices? So we're prioritizing protein at every meal and ignoring the fact that most men are already eating way too much of it. It just seems like a bunch of nonsense to me 
. And what's with the saturated fats thing? Isn't butter and beef tallow, like, super bad for you? 
, then I'm all for it. And let's be real, protein shakes are basically just a fancy way of saying "I don't want to sweat on my workout" 
. Anyway, who needs actual nutrition guidelines when you can have a nice beef tallow to go with your burger?
And yeah, it does seem like there's a bit of a push for more meat consumption to align with this whole "traditional masculinity" vibe 
.
It's a bit suspicious that it's all tied up with the MAGA movement and ideas around masculinity... 
. Maybe we should take a step back and think about what's really driving these dietary guidelines? 
I'm like so concerned about these new dietary guidelines 
. Like, have you seen the stats on how much protein Americans are already consuming? 
I get that weightlifting is popular & all, but does it really need to be tied to this meat-heavy diet? 
Let's focus on balanced eating & self-care, not some twisted notion of masculinity 
. The fact that they're prioritizing saturated fats and meat consumption over actual health benefits is just weird 
. And what's up with this whole masculinity thing? It feels like they're trying to sell us on some outdated idea of what it means to be a man, rather than actually addressing the real issues 
. Let's not forget that most people are already eating way too much protein, and now we're expected to consume even more 
.
. And now we're supposed to be consuming way more of it? It just doesn't add up 
. It's like, okay, let's promote this idea of traditional masculinity tied to strength and fitness, but instead of just saying that, we can tie it to actual dietary recommendations 
.
. but nope, let's just make saturated fats the new norm 
. and for what? so we can fit into some unrealistic idea of masculinity 
to get us all to eat more burgers and steaks 
. The real question is why are they trying to sell this idea of masculinity tied to meat consumption? Is it because some people think being strong means eating like a caveman? 
it claims to have like 10x more protein than regular milk... anyway did you know that they're building a new rollercoaster at Disneyland this year? It's gonna be themed around space and has some pretty wild drops 
I mean, who needs all that extra protein when you can just scream your lungs out on a rollercoaster ride, right?
. It's like they're trying to tell us that if we don't eat enough protein, we're not manly enough 
. and what's up with the emphasis on saturated fats? aren't those supposed to be bad for us? 
and let's be real, if you're going to promote meat consumption as part of your healthy lifestyle, at least make sure we know that beef tallow isn't actually good for us... 
.
. Like, his son Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used to be a big anti-vaxxer 
. But hey, politics and personal life are always complicated