If you’re on health and fitness corners of the internet, or if you eat at certain fast-casual chains, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: protein. Fitness influencers are hyping up protein powders, shakes, and supplements. Starbucks is selling protein-fortified lattes, milk, and cold foam, and even IHOP is hawking Protein Power Pancakes for “bulking szn.”
In short, protein is everywhere. And it’s a trend that doesn't seem likely to be dying down anytime soon, especially now that the Trump administration has released new federal dietary guidelines instructing Americans to up their daily protein intake by 50 to 100%.
The guidelines, released by the Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins, call for America to end its so-called war on protein, though they simultaneously say to limit saturated fat consumption. Foods like steak, ground meat, poultry, and whole milk, which occupy priority spots on the new inverted food pyramid, all contain saturated fat to varying degrees, particularly red meat and full-fat dairy. In response to the new guidance, some nutrition experts have warned of the potential health and environmental risks tied to eating more red meat and other saturated fat-heavy foods.
What does this push for protein mean for teens?
The guidelines have little to say on the subject, beyond calling adolescence a “rapid growth period” requiring “increased” amounts of protein, along with other nutrients. We do know that pro-protein messaging already seems to have found a foothold among some young people. One widely cited 2024 poll of parents, conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan, found that two in five teens nationwide have consumed protein supplements. Of those supplement-taking teens, boys were more than twice as likely to take supplements “every or most days,” according to the surveyed parents.
Against this backdrop, and with a rise of #proteinmaxxing content on platforms like TikTok, it’s worth asking how much protein teens actually need. We looked at what experts have to say about healthy protein targets for teens, the best ways to get protein into your diet, and what teens should know about protein powders and supplements.
How much protein do teens need?
Nutrition experts agree that getting enough protein is important for those of all age groups, including teens. Between the ages of 14 and 18, 43% of the protein you eat directly supports your body’s growth, according to a 2023 reference book from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Protein's essential amino acids play key roles in muscle maintenance, metabolism, and overall body function throughout our lives.
Protein matters, but making sure you’re getting enough might be simpler than you think. In fact, most US teens are already meeting their protein needs, according to Lauren Hartman, MD, a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist. “Adolescents who generally have a varied diet really do get adequate protein for their needs,” Dr. Hartman says. “There are certain areas, like a teen with food insecurity or a vegan, where we have to be a little more creative and intentional about making sure they're getting enough protein, but most teens do actually get enough.”
Andrew Elliston, MD, FAAP, a board-certified pediatrician and cofounder of Elliston Pediatrics, says this is one reason “protein-maxxing” shouldn’t be a focus for teens. “Getting sufficient protein is important, but it’s not hard to do for the most part for the average, generally healthy teenager in a country like the US,” Dr. Elliston says.
What amount of protein is sufficient for teens?
According to Dr. Elliston, it’s about 0.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, in keeping with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. There’s also some room to adjust based on your size and activity level. For a teen athlete, for example, Dr. Elliston says 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight could make sense. He says teens striving for that level of protein intake should be “the exception, not the rule.” “Loading up on protein won’t make someone more fit or stronger if they aren’t active enough to use it for building muscle,” he explains. “An athletic teenager who is actively and properly doing resistance training and aerobic exercise will need more protein than average, but they will also have a larger appetite, and that will naturally include more protein, too.”
Ultimately, monitoring protein intake is something Dr. Elliston tries to steer his patients away from: “I prefer for my patients to eat a well-rounded diet, which includes protein, than have them stress over whether it should be 15% or 25% of their daily caloric intake.”
Dr. Hartman, whose medical practice specializes in the care of patients with eating disorders, and who covers weight-neutral care for teens in an upcoming book, is similarly focused on the potential risks of teenagers monitoring their protein intake. “One of my concerns that comes up with this protein discussion is the worry that it could potentially fuel tracking — tracking the grams, tracking the calories — which is really risky, especially for teens,” she says. “We have pretty solid evidence that tracking calories and nutrients through apps is associated with disordered eating in teens and young adults.”
“Tracking does not bring joy,” she explains. “It increases obsession and anxiety and rigidity.… Meals should be about nourishment and pleasure and connection, not math or feeling like, I’m somehow not doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Ultimately, Dr. Elliston says it’s important not to think of protein as an “easy solution” for getting stronger or achieving another health-related goal. “There aren’t really any quick fixes,” he says. “Focusing on the basics of good hydration, good quality sleep, and a well-rounded diet moves the needle on health and well-being much more than boosting protein intake by 5 to 10% a day for an otherwise healthy teenager.”
Is it possible for teens to get too much protein?
Online influencer content — and now, official US dietary guidelines — seem to suggest that more protein is always better. That raises the question: Can teens get too much protein? And, if so, what happens if you do?
The short answer is, yes, it’s possible to consume too much protein. Some studies have found connections between overdoing it on protein and negative health impacts. In a 2024 study that involved both small human trials and experiments on mice, diets where protein accounted for more than 22% of daily calories were linked to more health risks than benefits, including a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. And a strain on the kidneys is a concern for those already susceptible to those issues.
More immediate potential side effects, Dr. Elliston says, include constipation and abdominal pain. But there’s another possible health consequence he considers more pressing: “The bigger risk in trying to maximize your protein intake is that you’re almost certainly going to be giving up other nutrition to do it," he says. After all, he adds, "you can only consume so many calories a day."
For teens, in particular, the trade-off can be damaging. Dr. Elliston explains that “[teens] need many different vitamins, lots of fiber, healthy fats, a variety of protein sources, and fruits and veggies. If you essentially sacrifice part of your healthy, balanced diet to max your protein intake,” he says, “you actually wind up causing yourself harm.”
Dr. Hartman puts it another way: “Your stomach only has so much space.… Sometimes, what’s happening for young people is that they’re eating these protein supplements and protein powders and they’re forgetting that, Oh, shoot, I’m also supposed to have carbs, and I’m also supposed to make sure I’m having fat in there,” she says. “It can push off the balance of what the normal food groups are supposed to be if you’re trending too high on protein intake.”
What are the best ways for teens to get protein?
Quick lesson: "There are nine amino acids your body can only get from your diet, known as essential amino acids." Foods that contain all nine are called complete proteins, and animal products are an example. Eating a variety of plant proteins over the course of a day can also provide you with all the essential amino acids you need. “There’s so much information out there that it can feel dizzying, and it can make people feel like, Do I even know anything anymore?” Dr. Hartman says. “So, getting back to what you do know, you know that protein is in nuts and beans and eggs and dairy products and fish and meats, and having a variety there is important.”
As important as what you’re eating is how often you’re eating it. Because adolescence is “such a metabolically demanding time,” Dr. Hartman says teens “need to be eating regular meals and snacks and…certainly adding more nutrition if they’re doing more physical activity.” Rather than counting grams or tallying up percentages of nutrients, she recommends focusing on ensuring you’re “actually eating enough to feel satiated,” eating a variety of food groups, and “eating consistently.”
“Medicine is always learning and adapting and improving, but fundamentally, it’s important for everyone — but especially growing adolescents and teenagers — to get a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and protein sources,” Dr. Elliston says, adding that this protein “can include dairy and meat, but it can also be beans, nuts, and tofu.”
And, when you start looking at everyday foods, it becomes clear how quickly protein can add up. Dr. Elliston points to the fact that an eight-ounce glass of milk has 11 grams of protein, a single serving of Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom has 11 grams of protein, and one egg has six grams. That’s 25 grams just from common breakfast items.
“It’s not hard for someone to reach, for example, 50 to 75 grams of protein a day if they’re intentional about it,” Dr. Elliston says. The key, he adds, is prioritizing getting your protein from whole foods whenever possible, advice that’s echoed in the new federal dietary guidelines.
Should teens use protein powders or supplements?
Protein products are often advertised as easy solutions for weight loss or muscle gain — messaging that can be appealing to teens who are constantly exposed to “slim down” or “bulk up” content online. But, according to Dr. Elliston, there’s “truly not any significant evidence that trying to max out your protein intake well beyond the standard target provides any benefits,” including for muscle building. “Extra protein intake does not mean bigger muscles,” he says. “Muscle growth comes through activity and strength training in addition to protein intake. Once the body uses the protein it needs to build muscle, for example, any excess protein is used for energy or stored as fat.”
Despite that, protein products are still regularly marketed as silver-bullet solutions because supplements are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as food and not as drugs. That means the agency doesn’t approve effectiveness or safety before these products reach consumers. As a result, Dr. Elliston says there’s “very little consequence or repercussions for flaws or mistakes in the products,” pointing to a recent report that found some protein products contain unsafe amounts of lead or are cross-contaminated with drugs. He adds: “If there’s something that is discovered to be incorrect or dangerous about a specific product, you may not hear about the recall, if there is even a recall.”
If you do choose to use protein products, researching manufacturers and looking for reputable, transparent products is crucial. So is making sure you’re not relying too heavily on these products. “Having a balance in terms of protein is important," Dr. Hartman says, "and that means, sure, maybe there is a certain situation where a protein shake makes sense after a game, and you’re running on the go. There are areas where it can be useful.”
That kind of occasional, situational use is pretty different, though, from turning to protein products for all or most of your protein. When that imbalance happens, it may be a good idea to ask yourself why you’re reaching for these products in the first place. In her clinical practice, Dr. Hartman says she’s seeing that “some of the attention to protein is often connected to this belief that you’re not muscular enough.… In my office, I’m seeing a lot of boys who are getting a pretty unhealthy preoccupation with just needing to get more muscular and getting something that we’re calling muscle dysmorphia or ‘bigorexia,’” she explains. “[They’re] obsessed with the idea of, ‘I don’t have enough muscles.’ And so I’m seeing these young kids — 13, 14 — who are already anxious about their bodies and about, ‘Am I drinking enough protein shakes,’ and having multiple protein shakes a day. Just feeling like they’re behind physically.”
For teens who are feeling pressure about protein consumption and/or body image, it may help to change their outlook on how they consume the nutrient. Dr. Hartman says, “I do really emphasize eating protein through regular whole foods as opposed to protein powders and supplements that I think, again, just keep us away from the normal joys of whole foods and nutrition.” The real goal, she says, isn’t hitting a specific protein quota. It’s making sure you’re “eating in a way that’s a lot more relaxed and a lot more intuitive, rather than trying to do it according to a checklist.”
And, if questions about nutrition still feel confusing, Dr. Elliston says that’s a good moment to bring your concerns to “a pediatrician and possibly a dietitian as well.” They can help you sort out what your body actually needs.
