What I learned about PROTEIN OVER 15 YEARS Editing food stories at MH

I FIRST LEARNED the true power of protein more than a decade ago. On assignment for this magazine, I worked with a trainer and dietitian in the hope of adding muscle to my frail frame.

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For three months, I bench-pressed, deadlifted, and squatted. And I consumed a lot of protein: beef-laden burritos, whey-heavy protein shakes, and pork tenderloin as a "snack." All the effort worked: I put on 15 pounds of lean muscle.

During my time as food and nutrition editor of Men's Health, I've read enough studies about the benefits of protein to fill a meat locker (or soybean silo.) Researchers and muscleheads-that's who long obsessed over the power of the nutrient. Yet late last year, when people started dropping premade high-protein shakes into pop and tagging #proteinsoda on their socials, I'll admit I was surprised.