You've probably met people who don't care for protein shakes. They don't like the heavy, milky consistency, or they don't love the taste. You might even be one of those people. And the truth is, they're not for everyone. Sometimes it's just not something you want to drink.
But that creates a bit of a gap.
Because a lot of us are still trying to get more protein into our day. We've heard it from trainers, from nutrition labels, from just about everywhere. So what are you supposed to do?
You could try to get it all from food. That works for some. But for most of us, it's not always that simple. Even if you’re trying to hit your targets, your day doesn't always line up perfectly. You're eating what's available, what fits into your schedule, what you actually feel like having. And when you try to layer extra servings of protein on top of that, it can start to feel like work.
That's usually where consistency breaks down. Not because you don't understand protein, but because it never quite becomes something that fits easily into your routine.
Here's what's actually going on
If you've ever started a new nutrition habit with good intentions and then quietly abandoned it a few weeks later, you're not alone. And it's probably not what you think.
Research from the University of Utah puts it plainly: behaviour change is complicated because it requires disrupting something you already do automatically while building something new that doesn't feel natural yet. That process takes time… and usually much longer than we expect. Something as simple as drinking an extra cup of water a day takes most people an average of two months to turn into a consistent habit.
Two months. For a cup of water.
So if adding a meaningful protein routine to your day has felt harder than it should, that's not a discipline problem. That's just how habit formation works. The brain resists new patterns even when we understand exactly why they're good for us. Understanding something and doing it consistently are two very different things.
This one is more difficult to consider. You may have already encountered it yourself. You say you're going to build a habit such as eat more protein, plan ahead, or prep your meals, but it doesn’t stick. That’s often not a discipline issue. It’s that the habit hasn’t had the time, space, or right conditions to take root.
What actually makes a habit stick
The research on habit formation points to a few things that matter more than willpower or motivation.
The first is friction. The harder something is to do, the less likely you will do it consistently, especially on the days when your energy is low, your schedule is packed, or things haven't gone as planned. This sounds obvious, but most people don't apply it to their nutrition. They set up a protein routine that works perfectly on a good day and then wonder why it falls apart when life gets complicated.
The honest answer is that it falls apart because it was never frictionless enough to survive a hard day.
The second is fit. A habit that works with your existing routine is exponentially more likely to stick than one that requires you to reorganize your day around it. The goal isn't to build a perfect system. The goal is to find something that slides into the life you're already living with as little disruption as possible.
The third - and this is the one most people overlook - is enjoyment. Not excitement, not novelty, just basic enjoyment. If something feels like a chore every single time you do it, you will eventually stop doing it. Not because you lack commitment, but because humans are wired to move away from things that feel unpleasant and toward things that feel good. That's biology at work, not a sign of weakness
Choosing the right kind of protein for the moment
Most conversations about protein focus on quantity, such as how much you need, when to take it, which source is best. Very few conversations focus on the form it takes. But that might be one of the biggest factors in whether it sticks.
A protein shake is a great option. For a lot of people, in a lot of situations, it's the right choice. But it's one format. And one format can't be the perfect fit for every moment of a long, varied day. (That’s why we’ve built a range of options already, and we’ve got something new coming that’s made for the moments when you want something lighter.)
Think about the moments where a shake doesn't quite work. When you're not at home and don't have a blender. When your stomach is still settling after training. When it's warm out and something cold and heavy sounds wrong. When you just want something lighter and easier to finish.
In those moments, most people do the same thing. They skip it.
Not out of laziness. Not because they don't care about their goals. Just because the tool doesn't match the moment. And over time, those skipped moments add up in ways that quietly undermine the consistency you've been working to build.
That’s why it helps to have options. Sometimes that’s a shake. Sometimes it’s a few boiled eggs, or grilled chicken, or Greek yogurt. Having more than one go-to protein source lets you adapt to your day instead of forcing your day to adapt to a single plan.
Build the habit that works for your life
Building a protein habit that sticks isn't really about finding the perfect product or the perfect timing or the perfect system. It's about reducing friction, finding fit, and making the behaviour enjoyable enough that you'll actually do it on the days when everything else is working against you.
That looks different for everyone. For some people it's a shake every morning without exception. For others it's a combination of food sources, supplements, and formats that shift depending on the day.
Habits don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be doable.
References
Megan Call, University of Utah Health, 2024 (originally published 2020) — behavior change psychology - healthcare.utah.edu/integrative-health/resiliency-center/news/2024/04/why-behavior-change-so-hard
