A 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson and paid for by the nonprofit MAHA Center encourages viewers to avoid processed foods and visit Realfood.gov. The government website, which Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting, provides resources on the administrationâs new dietary guidelines, released in January, and encourages people to use Elon Muskâs AI chatbot Grok to âget real answers about real food.â
I decided to see how Grokâs advice aligns with the administration’s recommendations, particularly around protein intake. The new guidelines say to get 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per dayâmore than what was previously advisedâwhile the new inverted food pyramid prominently features steak and other animal products.
âWe are ending the war on protein,â Realfood.gov states, echoing similar declarations by Kennedy.
Most Americans are already eating enough proteinâand Grok agrees. In fact, so does the administrationâs own âScientific Foundation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,â which is linked on Realfood.gov. It says that US adults consume on average about one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or roughly 15 percent of total energyâthe midpoint of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, or ADMRââsuggesting that deficiency is rare.â
Following the websiteâs encouragement to ask AI for advice, I initially asked Grok how much protein I should eat based on my age, height, and weight. (Grok, it should be noted, frequently does not return answers to prompts, instead citing high demand and encouraging users to sign up for an account.) It recommended 0.8 grams per kilogram per dayâthe long-standing recommended daily allowance, or RDA, developed by the National Institute of Medicine. When I refined my question, saying that I do 30 minutes of strength training four days a week, Grokâs response was more in line with the administrationâs new guidelines.
The recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day is the minimum amount needed to prevent a protein deficiency for a sedentary lifestyle, which describes a significant portion of the American population. Nutritionists I spoke with agree that the new recommendations are more appropriate for people who exercise regularly.
âWhat I think the administration is trying to do is to target the metabolically unhealthy people who may need a little more protein to feel full and satisfied to build some muscle. But that nuance is lost with their single message,â says Lindsay Malone, a clinical dietician at Case Western Reserve University. âThen you go to this AI tool, and itâs almost too much information for the average person.â
While eating more protein can make you feel fuller so that you avoid snacking, she says, eating more protein on its own doesnât build muscle, which is primarily built through resistance or strength training.
Michelle King Rimer, a clinical assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukeeâs Zilber College of Public Health, says eating too much of any macronutrientâprotein, fats, or carbohydratesâcan lead to weight gain. âConsuming excess protein can still be converted into fat, which can lead to weight gain,â she says.
The administrationâs messaging also says to âprioritize protein at every mealâ with a mix of protein from animal and plant sources. Last week, Kennedy spoke about the âimportance of meat proteinâ at the nationâs largest cattle trade show, declaring that âbeef is back on the menu,â according to an HHS statement.
When I asked Grok which protein sources are healthiest, it listed plant-based proteins, fish and seafood, lean poultry, and eggs. The chatbot said to limit or minimize red meat and processed meats. That all reflects advice from major health organizations such as the American Heart Association and growing evidence that eating plant-based proteins and fish are associated with better health outcomes than diets high in red meat.
