Too Much Simple Sugar and Not Enough Good Protein

Here’s the truth a lot of people don’t want to admit: the biggest nutritional problem in this country isn’t that we’re eating too much food.

It’s that we’re eating way too much simple sugar and nowhere near enough real protein.

Most men and women in America aren’t even close to getting the amount of protein their bodies actually need. A typical man in his 60s weighs around 200 pounds. A typical woman is about 175 pounds. And if you follow the newer, higher protein recommendations—roughly 0.88 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight for adults over 60—that means:

Average man: 175–200 grams a day

Average woman: 155–175 grams a day

That’s a serious amount of protein.

If those numbers sound high to you, you’re probably proving my point. Most of us have never even thought about eating that much protein.

Most people have no idea how much protein they’re actually eating. Ask them about calories and they’ll give you a number. Ask them how many grams of protein they should be getting and you’ll get that blank stare—the “I’ve never thought about this once in my life” look.

So here’s a challenge.

Think back over what you ate this past week. Then take a few minutes and look up the protein in each meal. Quick Google search, check a food label, whatever works. Add it up and get your daily average.

Then post your number in the comments.

I’m willing to bet a lot of people are going to be surprised—and not in a good way.

And here’s the part nobody talks about: getting 175 to 200 grams of protein a day isn’t easy, and it definitely isn’t cheap. That’s a lot of chicken, eggs, fish, dairy, lean beef, and maybe a protein shake or two. Your grocery bill feels it.

In fact, one of the reasons many people don’t get enough protein is because it’s simply easier and cheaper to fill up on bread, pasta, cereal, chips, and processed foods.

We’re eating bagels for breakfast, sandwiches and chips for lunch, and a big bowl of pasta for dinner. Then we wonder why we’re starving again two hours later, why we crash in the afternoon, and why we feel weaker every year.

Here’s the reality: after age 40, we start losing muscle. Slowly at first, then faster as we get older. And muscle isn’t just about looking good in the summer. Muscle keeps you strong, steady, mobile, and independent.

Nobody wants to be 80 years old and struggling to get out of a chair, carry groceries, or walk up a flight of steps because they spent decades under-eating protein and over-eating sugar.

Maybe it’s time we stop asking:

“How many calories did I eat today?”

And start asking something that may matter even more:

“Did I get enough protein today?”