When even a major national coffee chain is advertising drinks with added protein, you know protein has become the latest dietary craze.

Protein is showing up in unexpected places — pancakes, breakfast cereals, macaroni and cheese, potato chips and even ice cream. Unlike past diet trends that demonized carbs or fats, protein is marketed as something to add more of, thanks to its links to muscle growth, weight management and blood sugar control for type 2 diabetes.

“There are definitely a lot of benefits with protein for a lot of different functions in our bodies,” says Trevor Cox, clinical dietitian at Tidelands Health. “Some of it is backed by science because protein is very satiating. It curbs our hunger for longer.”

Proteins, even in the form of cold foam atop your favorite coffee drink, take longer for our bodies to digest than quick-energy carbs. That slows digestion and keeps us feeling full. When we feel full longer, we snack less.

Here’s why: Most meals have a set calorie range. If you add more protein-rich foods like eggs or chicken, you naturally crowd out carb-heavy options like bread or pasta. This shift can help stabilize blood sugar and reduce energy crashes, which is one reason high-protein diets are popular for weight management.

However, each gram of protein has four calories, the same as carbs, while fat has nine. Adding protein without cutting carbs or fat means more calories overall, which can lead to weight gain.

To know if that box of mac-and-cheese is truly high-protein, check the nutrition label. About 30 percent of your daily calories should come from protein. A quick rule of thumb: 10 grams of protein per 100 calories qualifies as high-protein, Cox says.

Example: A single-serve microwave meal with 250 calories should have at least 25 grams of protein to earn that label.

The federal government recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 165-pound adult, that’s about 60 grams a day.

The average intake is 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram per day, which falls into the high-protein range.

Staple foods like eggs, milk, cheese, Greek yogurt and animal products such as chicken, beef and pork are naturally protein-rich.

Vegetarians and vegans may need to be more intentional to hit their protein goals. While soy and some legumes provide complete proteins, many plant sources are incomplete proteins that need to be combined, like having beans and rice.

The good news is that our bodies have a fairly high tolerance for extra protein — up to double the recommended daily allowance — without seeing detrimental effects. The bad news is that consistently eating too much protein can be bad for our kidneys. For this reason, individuals with chronic kidney disease should consult their doctor before adjusting their diet to include more protein.

Cox says it’s important to moderate our intake of protein just like we would moderate our intake of carbs and fat. We need all three for our bodies to function properly.

Even as protein takes the spotlight as the latest dietary fad, an even more important aspect of nutrition and health is going unnoticed — fiber.

Like protein, fiber keeps us feeling full and less likely to overeat. Fiber helps to regulate blood sugar, which is also a high-protein selling point. Unlike high-protein foods, however, fiber won’t damage our kidneys or make us constipated if we consume too much.

In the end, adding more protein to our diets requires us to pay attention to how much we’re getting and where it’s coming from while still eating foods we enjoy.

“Making lifestyle changes is about making sure we’re not cutting out any of our favorite foods, but making sure every meal has some protein,” Cox says.