RFK Jr. Says Americans Need More Protein. His Grok-Powered Food Website Disagrees
A 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson and funded 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 administration’s new dietary guidelines, released in January, and encourages people to use Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, to “get real answers about real food.”
I decided to see how Grok’s advice aligns with the administration’s recommendations, particularly when it comes to protein intake. The new guidelines state that one should consume between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, more than previously advised, while the new inverted food pyramid highlights steak and other animal products.
“We are ending the war on protein,” says Realfood.gov, echoing similar statements from Kennedy.
Most Americans already get enough protein, and Grok agrees. In fact, so does the administration’s “Scientific Foundation for Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” linked to at Realfood.gov. It says American adults consume on average about one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 15 percent of total energy — the midpoint of the acceptable macronutrient distribution range, or ADMR — “suggesting that deficiency is rare.”
Following the website’s encouragement to seek advice from AI, I first asked Grok how much protein I should eat based on my age, height and weight. (Grok, it should be noted, often does not respond to prompts, instead citing high demand and encouraging users to create an account.) It recommended 0.8 grams per kilogram per day — the long-standing Recommended Daily Allowance, or RDA, developed by the National Institute of Medicine. When I refined my question, saying I did 30 minutes of strength training four days a week, Grok’s response was more in line with the administration’s new guidelines.
The recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day is the minimum amount needed to prevent protein deficiency in a sedentary lifestyle, which describes a significant portion of the U.S. population. Nutritionists I spoke with agree that the new recommendations are more appropriate for people who exercise regularly.
“What I think the administration is trying to do is target metabolically unhealthy people who may need a little more protein to feel full and satisfied in order to build muscle. But that nuance is lost with their single message,” says Lindsay Malone, a clinical dietitian at Case Western Reserve University. “Then you go to this AI tool, and it’s almost too much information for the average person.”
Although eating more protein can fill you up and prevent snacking, she says, eating more protein in itself doesn’t build muscle, which is primarily built through resistance or strength training.
Michelle King Rimer, clinical assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Zilber College of Public Health, says eating too many macronutrients (protein, fat, or carbohydrates) can lead to weight gain. “Excess protein consumption can still be converted into fat, which can lead to weight gain,” she says.
The administration’s message also says to “prioritize protein at every meal” with a blend of animal and plant-based proteins. Last week, Kennedy spoke about “the importance of meat proteins” at the nation’s largest livestock trade show, declaring that “beef is back on the menu,” according to an HHS release.
When I asked Grok which protein sources were healthiest, he listed plant-based proteins, fish and seafood, lean poultry, and eggs. The chatbot said to limit or minimize red meat and processed meats. All of this reflects advice from major health organizations like the American Heart Association and growing evidence that eating plant-based and fish proteins is associated with better health outcomes than a diet high in red meat.
