According to MyPlate, the average adult should consume between five to six and a half ounces of protein foods per day, with the exact amount varying by age, gender and activity level. Yet in a world where more is assumed better, that guideline is largely ignored.

Protein is undeniably essential to a balanced diet. But how many people are actually sticking to their recommended intake? The answer is very few and there is one big reason why.

If you slap the phrase “high protein” on a label, consumers automatically think it is healthier for them, and food brands have caught on.

Suddenly, protein is not just whole foods like chicken, beans or peanut butter, it is now being artificially pumped into any food imaginable.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I can not go to the store without getting ambushed by protein. It is everywhere added into random products you would never expect: popcorn, Pop-Tarts, cereal, foods that were never meant to double down as gym fuel.

Somewhere along the way, protein went from being a nutrient to being a solution to everything. Want to lose weight? Eat more protein. Want to gain muscle? Eat more protein. It has been marketed as the universal fix and people are buying it.

You cannot go on social media without seeing recipes for “high protein pancakes,” “high protein pasta” or even “high protein ice cream.” People are turning basic meals into science experiments, dumping protein powder, cottage cheese or greek yogurt into it, because apparently every dish needs to be qualified as a gym supplement.

To be clear, protein is important. It supports muscle growth and repair, bone health and immune function. But it gets to a point where high protein becomes too much protein. That is where the problem starts.

I realized society has a protein obsession when Starbucks released their new protein drinks and cold foams. Vanilla Protein Latte. Protein Matcha. Banana Cream Protein cold foam. Chocolate Protein cold foam. Each drink ranges from 29 to 36 grams of protein per serving and that is before adding the extra serving of protein cold foam on top.

Out of curiosity, I looked up a few video reviews on the drinks. I just could not imagine something that is supposed to be sweet and indulgent possibly tasting good with loads of added protein. And I feel like most people agree that artificially added protein just does not taste good. There are countless articles online devoted to why protein products, especially protein powders, taste so unpleasant and why everyone hates the taste of them.

However, all of the reviews I saw said it was great, especially the Iced Protein Matcha with the Banana Protein cold foam, so I decided to give that specific one a shot.

And it tasted exactly how I expected: like straight protein powder.

I love matcha and I like bananas. However, with all the added protein, every recognizable taste was completely lost. No matcha or banana, just a chalky artificial aftertaste.

Starbucks is not the only company looking to jump on the trend. More brands are reformulating their products to earn that high protein badge.

We even have celebrities like Khloé Kardashian who launched her own protein popcorn brand called Khloud. They have three different flavors: Olive Oil and Sea Salt, Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn and White Cheddar, with each serving containing seven grams of protein.

It is not that eating too much protein is going to destroy your health overnight. The real issue is  that the collective protein obsession is distracting us from a much bigger question: What are we sacrificing in the process?

When everything becomes protein packed, we stop paying attention to the fact that many of these foods are ultra processed. If it has the protein label on it, there is no concern whatsoever.

At the end of the day, popcorn does not need protein. Popcorn can be an enjoyable snack without having to justify itself as a fuel source. Food does not have to earn a place in our diet by promising muscle growth or weight loss.

Maybe the real mark of health is not just about how much protein you can cram into a latte or popcorn bag, but how often you can eat something just because it tastes good.