I celebrated a milestone birthday in May. It’s the one that starts with a 5 and ends with a zero. Yep. Age 50 means more than the harsh reality check of getting my AARP card in the mail (which arrived promptly 1 day after my birthday!) Age 50 means more than the joy I felt after the college student at the cash register at my local Publix asked for my driver’s license for my usual wine purchase. When she said, “You are the most youthful looking 50-year-old I’ve met,” I said, “I’m two days into this but you’ve made my year already!” For me, age 50 means that it’s time to double down on my efforts to cultivate energy. You see, my true self-care journey started at age 38 after my first son was born. The second baby boy came when I was 41. Cultivating energy through nutrition, movement and rest is not just a passion of mine – it has been and continues to be a necessity to keep up with two rambunctious boys!
Case in point: As I write this blog, I’m sitting in my car during a rain delay at Alabama’s 12U All-Star State Baseball tournament waiting on game number five to start. Five baseball games in 3 days in 93 degree heat and 300% humidity means Mama needs another hit of her “energy drug” of choice: a full bag of my Golden Island Korean barbecue pork jerky, listed as #8 on Circana’s 2024 New Product Pacesetters Report. That’s right. Meat is hot right now and not just because it’s summertime in Alabama!
As 2025 started and age 50 came calling, I focused on increasing my animal protein consumption (not hard to do as a lifer in the meat business, right?!) Instead of counting calories or obsessing over the size of my jeans or the number on the scale, I followed the advice of my 3 besties who had “wow” results with a protein-focused nutrition reset. My results soon followed: I lost weight, I felt stronger, and I gained energy.
As a 50-year-old woman, I need at least 100 grams of protein to fuel my body and stop the loss of muscle mass (otherwise known as sarcopenia) that occurs as we age. Consumers – and not just us women of a certain age – are catching on. Protein is so top of mind right now that it’s showing up more than ever in the junk food aisle. I take a real issue with this. Not all protein is created equal – we’ve known for centuries that meat and eggs are nature’s multivitamins! But what has shifted to give meat its current health halo? Consumers taking GLP-1s report their need for smaller portions that are high in protein. There is curiosity about high protein diets and the all-in carnivore diet. And more MDs and RDs are willing to go on record to promote the positive health benefits of animal protein. During a recent visit, my own doctor shared a great campaign idea with me: “There are no fat lions.” Yep.
I’ve learned a lot from my RD friends Dr. Shalene McNeill, Tessa Nguyen and Cara Herbstreet this year. They’ve taught me that the bioavailability of the essential amino acids, our body’s building blocks, is what matters most. Lucine plays an important role in protein synthesis which allows us to preserve our lean muscle mass. Could we imagine a future where meat’s amino acids in are called out on-pack as individual nutrients to help consumers get the full story about protein quality? How about a QR code linked to a video your company website that showcases the power of your product’s nutritional messaging?
We know from Midan’s Meat Consumer Segmentation 3.0 Research and our that Claims Seekers pay careful attention to what they eat and they look for messaging that aligns with their values. In fact, the Claims Seekers told us that they want to see a detailed health message like this to inspire purchase: “Meat is an excellent source of complete protein, providing all the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle growth, tissue development and repair, and supporting immune function.” As an industry, let’s lean in to share the nutritional details on-pack and on our digital marketing platforms and harness the momentum of the moment!
The number of Americans trying to get more protein in their diets has jumped 13% since 2019, according to Cargill’s 2025 Protein Profile Report. But not just any protein: 98% of households buy meat and 73% consider meat a healthy choice, up 10% since 2020. This is a reason to go out right now and celebrate with a steak!
Speaking of celebrating, pause to consider this: I have always indulged in the pleasure of a great tasting steak. This same incredible piece of animal protein that brings me great pleasure is also the power-packed fuel that will see me through the second half of life. That’s one huge “both and” – it’s giving flavor and fuel. Keep on sizzling, meat!
