You’ve probably noticed the increase in products like cereal and pasta boasting they have added protein. Maybe you’ve heard about health trends that advise replacing carbs with meat. But do we really need these protein boosts?

“There’s a bit of a craze right now with protein,” says Dr. Irina Ghenea. She runs OceanView Family Practice and Lifestyle Medicine in North Sydney and was certified as a lifestyle medicine physician by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2025. “The vast majority of people in North America are not only getting enough protein but more than they need.”

To Dr. Ghenea, the question should not be are we getting enough protein but where are we getting our protein from. Most Americans already eat about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight but two-thirds of that protein is from meat and other animal sources. With animal-based protein comes unhealthy saturated fats and no fibre.

The fibre in plant-based foods helps regulate how quickly food passes through the intestine, controls blood sugar and reduces the risk for diabetes, and decreases cholesterol in four different ways that lower the risk of heart disease. It can reduce the risk for breast, liver and colon cancer, and helps the good bacteria in our gut.

The latest Canada Food Guide illustrates how our understanding of nutrition has evolved. It advises we should fill half our plate with vegetables and fruit (plants), a quarter with whole grains (plants) and a quarter with protein foods. Where we once interpreted protein to mean animal sources like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, the new guidelines recommend mostly plant sources of protein, such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds. These guidelines also align with the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet (PHD).

“Interestingly, the PHD commission didn’t say – and I’m not saying either – that you should not eat meat,” she says. “The idea is that it should be significantly less, where the majority of your food comes from plants and meat can be used like a garnish or occasional side dish.”

Some of her patients have expressed concerns about the carbohydrates found in plant-based foods. Many have been led to believe that carbs are bad for you.

“That depends on which carbs you’re talking about. A simple carb from processed white flour turns into sugar in your bloodstream almost immediately, whereas a complex carb that comes packed with all the vitamins and minerals in your lentils, beans or chickpeas doesn’t.”

Plant-based foods often have a lower carbon footprint, as they require less water, land and energy to produce compared to food from animal sources. And with food prices soaring, it’s reassuring to know that plant-based staples such as canned and dried beans, lentils and tofu are still affordable and incredibly versatile.

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