Baguette Gazette: Things I'm loving + our "30 grams of protein" era
A new podcast, Emily in Paris + the great protein panic of 2024 🗞️
Hi friends! Welcome to the latest “Baguette Gazette”. (If you’re new here, this is a monthly catchup where I share recommendations, personal updates, and what’s going on behind the recipes at TNB HQ.)
“Saturday Night Live” cast member Ego Nwodim recently launched this podcast where she talks to dads and father figures about, well, being dads! I’ve listened to a couple of episodes so far and they are funny, touching, and insightful. I particularly loved hearing Mikey Day (fellow SNL’er) talk about his young family and his own relationship to his late dad.
Is “Emily in Paris” a timeless piece of art that teaches us valuable life lessons or helps us reflect on the human experience? Probably not. But it does do something arguably even better: it’s an escape from reality, to the most beautiful city in the world, with the most flamboyant outfits, and extremely good-looking people. I recently binged the latest season with two girlfriends and we had a blast. The storylines may be questionable, but we were willing to suspend our disbelief for the fantasy.
I also loved the subtle references to classic Audrey Hepburn films (Funny Face, Roman Holiday) in this season.
When my usual pair of everyday sneakers (white Converse) literally started to fall apart last month, I decided to replace them with the popular Adidas Sambas. These are comfy, and work well with jeans and trousers. I mostly appreciate their narrow shape, which makes outfits look neat and pulled-together, while still being practical.
If you’ve scrolled Instagram or opened a recipe newsletter in the past few months, it’s likely you’ve seen a lot of meals billed as having “30 GRAMS OF PROTEIN!”
30 grams of protein™ are everywhere right now.
In fact, it seems to have become some sort of social media game where people almost compete about who can eat the most grams of protein per day. (Have you noticed?)
I’ve been in food media for ~a decade now, and I’ve seen many diet trends come and go. When I first started paying attention, we were in our low-fat era. Then came the green juice, soup cleanses, and fasts. Remember ancient grains? The Paleo craze obsessed with grass-fed meat? OMG, celery juice? (Celery juice was its own singular juicing moment, RIP.) Intermittent fasting. The Glucose Goddess protocol. I could go on and I’m sure you can tack on a few, too.
So how did the goal of every meal become 30 grams of protein? As someone who generally strives to eat for health and makes their living sharing health-supportive recipes, I see several problems with fixating on this concept and desperately feel the need to share them.
Here’s an illustration: I recently watched a “What I Eat In A Day” vlog from someone I’ve been following for a long time. This person had a very high protein threshold they were trying to reach daily, which seemed almost obscene in juxtaposition to their small stature of probably no more than 140 pounds.
This person documented themselves eating three complete meals (including an omelet, chicken salad, a salmon dinner, cottage cheese snacks, etc.), then scarfing down a synthetic protein shake at the end of the day just to meet that target.
I found this almost disturbing. Maybe for an athlete training multiple hours each day, this might make sense. But the rest of us? Let’s face it - we’re mostly sitting, and working out a couple of times a week at best.
I’m telling you about this YouTuber (who shall remain nameless, and who I still very much enjoy watching, for the record) not to poo-poo their lifestyle, but to illustrate the concept of reductionism.
Diet culture thrives on reducing food to “grams of this or that” and vilifying anything outside the confines of the trend. But a meal is much more than the sum of its chemical parts - more than these singular measures we periodically decide to fixate on (be it fat, sodium, sugar, or carbs).
Additionally, not all protein is created equal (i.e. whole food sources vs. processed ingredients in protein powders). Our food choices need to be looked at as a whole - what’s in this, where did it come from, how does it affect the environment, how do we feel when we eat it - not as arbitrary measures more suited to a chemistry lab.
(This re-post from made me lol.)
I also have to say that hyper-fixating on individual macronutrients - protein good, carbs bad - is just diet culture with a health halo that screams orthorexia. When we demonize the carbohydrates in a banana but happily recommend a protein powder made of factory-processed Frankenstein ingredients, there’s something very wrong with that.
For the record, we all have the right to eat whatever we want for whatever reasons - health, pleasure, aesthetic, etc. If you feel good, by all means, keep going. And I am not saying our meals shouldn’t have 30 grams of protein™. Adequate protein is vital for any healthy diet*. But it’s not the only thing that matters. It may seem that way right now, but it’s a passing trend, just like the ones that came before it.
Something that won’t fade away as a trend? Cultivating awareness around your own body and knowing what makes you feel good. Eating when you’re hungry and not eating when you’re not. Looking inward, not outward, to know what you need.
More good advice that isn’t a passing trend: eating as close to nature as possible. Eating whole peas instead of pea protein. Eating seasonal fruits that were grown nearby versus seeking out a low-carb ones imported from halfway across the world. Learning to enjoy the food in front of you, versus doing math in your head during dinner.
*My goal here is not to vilify protein specifically - I’m only using the trend as an example. Protein is important and if you have problems with cravings, brain fog, low energy, or feel hungry all the time, these may be signs you’re not getting enough. (Check out this tool for more info.)
P.S. In case you missed any of October’s recipes…
So well said. I can’t stand this obsession taking over the plant based space !