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We've officially entered a protein crisis!

6 Sept 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:28

In this YouTube monologue, Kashif Khan warns that whey protein prices have skyrocketed from under $3 per pound in 2023 to over $11 per pound by 2026, turning a once‑affordable supplement into a luxury item. He explains that whey is a by‑product of cheese production, so global supply is limited by cheese output rather than consumer demand. Meanwhile, demand for protein has surged—70% of U.S. adults now aim to increase protein intake versus 50% in 2022—prompting manufacturers to fortify a wide range of processed foods (chips, sodas, coffee, Pop‑Tarts, Doritos) with whey. This has strained the fixed whey pool, halving American whey inventories since 2023 and causing widespread shortages and price spikes. Khan contrasts this with other protein sources (eggs, chicken, lentils, milk, fish) that have not seen similar price inflation, arguing that the perceived value of protein, not the protein itself, has risen. He ends with a call to follow his daily content for more insights.

Chapters

The protein powder is starting to get so expensive that in the next few years, a lot of people won't even be able to afford it. Whey protein sold for under $3 a pound in 2023, and by 2026, it's blown to past $11, which means it's slowly turning into a luxury good. And this is the only thing everybody's been told is unquestionably healthy. Protein is the one thing nobody argues about. Every doctor, every trainer, every label on the shelf is pushing you towards more of it. So here's what's actually going on. Whey isn't something anyone manufactures. It's a liquid that drains off when you make cheese. For most of dairy history, producers are actually paid to get rid of it, which means the entire world supply of protein depends on how much cheese we make, not on how much protein people want. And demand exploded. 70% of American adults now say they're trying to eat more protein, up from 50% in 2022. So companies started putting protein into everything— chips, sodas, water, coffee. All pulling from the exact same pool that hasn't grown. And as time passes, it's only getting worse. American whey stocks have halved since 2023. Suppliers are sold out for the year, and a lot gets sprinkled into foods like Pop-Tarts and Doritos so the box can print a number. That tub went from $3 a pound to $11 because millions of people are bidding on something most of them never were short of. Eggs didn't do that. Chickens didn't. Lentils, milk, tinned fish— none of them did. The protein didn't get more valuable. The word did. If you found this helpful, make sure to follow because I share stuff like this every single day.