Are You Getting Enough Financial Protein?
Everywhere you look, someone’s tracking their protein. Shakes, macros, grams per meal, it’s all about hitting a protein goal. Even foods that never used to flaunt their nutrition facts now advertise “PROTEIN INCLUDED” in bold letters.
While the trend has science behind it, what would happen if we thought of our finances the same way?
Just like your body needs a mix of nutrients, your financial life needs a balance of long-term fuel and short-term energy. That’s why an “everything in moderation” principle works not just for our plates, but for our financial diets as well.
What Is Financial Protein?
In nutrition, protein is essential. It builds muscles and provides lasting energy. When it comes to your money, financial protein includes habits or choices that promote those same outcomes: building wealth and sustaining financial freedom.
Here are a few examples:
Contributing to your retirement account (401K, IRA)
Building and sustaining an emergency fund
Debt repayment
Tithing and Generosity
The beauty of financial protein is that it’s slow, steady and sustainable. It is not about quick wins or overnight growth. It’s about small, intentional habits that compound over time.
What Are Financial Carbs? The Good Kind
Contrary to trendy social media advice, carbs aren’t the enemy. They play a crucial role in brain function and energy levels. When we think about healthy carbs, it’s about the ones that help you function day to day, so in financial equivalent terms, it’s the money needed for essentials.
Things like:
Monthly bills (rent/mortgage, utilities)
Groceries, gas, basic living costs
Budgeted fun and rest
Short-term savings for upcoming needs
These are the core of your monthly spending plan. When balanced with enough financial protein, you’ll find that your budget doesn’t just survive, it starts to work for you in accomplishing your financial goals.
Beware of Financial Junk Food
Now, I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to indulging in a sweet treat or splurging outside of the meal plan. But there’s grace for that! A good plan leaves room for flexibility.
That said, financial junk food becomes a problem when overindulged. It’s the kind of spending that brings short-term gratification, but no lasting nourishment. This often also leaves you feeling worse later.
Here’s what that might look like:
Impulse purchases (hello, late-night Amazon carts and TikTok trends)
Buy-now and Pay-later traps
Lifestyle creep
Excessive dining out or subscription stacking
These things aren’t inherently “bad”, but too much can crowd out what truly nourishes your financial health and faith goals.
Stewardship and Self Control
Paul writes about training in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”
Paul reminds us tat intentionality and discipline matter. The same way an athlete trains their body, we’re called to train ourselves spiritually and financially.
Our resources as blessings. When we manage them well, we are building spiritual muscles, too. God calls us to live lives of stewardship and each decision we make shapes that. Today is a new day to practice stewardship with our monetary resources as well as our hearts.
Later, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
If our mindset is to honor God with our actions, that includes meal planning and financial planning. Yes, even your budget can be an act of worship when it reflects wisdom, discipline and generosity. Money is a tool, not just for personal pleasure, but for kingdom impact.
Practical Tips for Balancing Your Financial Diet
Here are a few ways to start building a faith-filled financial plan that includes the right balance of protein, carbs, and (a little) fun:
Auto-draft retirement savings, even if it’s just $25/month
Review spending to identify and cut back “financial junk”
Increase your giving by 1%
Build a spending plan (aka budget) with protein, carbs and room for small treats
Just like physical health, financial health takes consistency, not perfection. Small changes compound over time to make a big impact.
Our financial habits should reflect our faith. So the next time you reach for a protein bar, ask yourself: am I feeding my future with faith and wisdom? Or am I snacking on temporary satisfaction?
Bible Verses to Reflect On
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” - 1 Corinthians 9:24-26