Stop Obsessing Over Protein on Vacation: Summer Isn't for Macros

Summer, beach, vacation… and you’re panicking: is there enough protein to keep your muscles? Welcome to the world of “proteinmaxxers”—people who turn their holidays into an amino acid race, turning actual relaxation into counting grams.

Summer, beach, vacation… and you’re panicking: is there enough protein to keep your muscles? Welcome to the world of “proteinmaxxers”—people who turn their holidays into an amino acid race, turning actual relaxation into counting grams.

2025 has been a big year for protein diets: milk is back in style, meat-free alternatives are losing popularity, and keto and protein supplements have gone mainstream. Even water now gets a “protein boost.” But this year, some people have gone too far: tourists with plastic bags of protein powder at airport security look like they’re smuggling illegal substances. Lesson: vacation is not the time for a macro dictatorship.

TikTok and Instagram are full of videos like “How to get 200 grams of protein on holiday,” even though the average man needs only about 56 grams per day. Brits, Americans, and Aussies are doing protein hauls in Spain and Italy to make dinner as “muscle-friendly” as possible: steak, eggs, chicken—better yet, pack it all in your carry-on. In one viral video, a British tourist even asks to add chicken to his carbonara. Italian answer: no.

Some of these stories are understandable: a Sicilian breakfast might include sweet brioche with granita—delicious, but not enough for a full day in the sun. Local food tips are useful: some jamón and toast in Spain can make a budget-friendly, macro-balanced snack. Some hotels and beach clubs offer protein yogurts and shakes, but these are exceptions, not the rule.

NHS dietitian Charlie Watson notes: “If you train actively on holiday, maintaining protein intake helps with recovery. But if your vacation is more relaxed, your protein needs naturally decrease.” And she’s right: no one wants five days at the beach ruined by counting BCAAs and creatine instead of enjoying Aperol Spritz and calamari.

The best example of “protein obsession”? Saxon Ratliff from The White Lotus. His gym-bro antics nearly lead to disaster. Lesson: protein fanatics are not fun to be around. Nobody wants to sit next to someone measuring creatine with spoons and stirring slimy powder into a shake.

Vacation isn’t a protein-gram marathon. If you’ve spent the winter training, taking cold plunges, and using creatine, do your friends a favor: show off those gains for five days on the beach—cocktail in hand—and leave the protein at home. Summer is for enjoying, not counting macros.

Want to be cool? Relax. Pasta, seafood, local delicacies—and no powder counting.