Everything is protein, but protein isn’t everything. Here’s what to know.

First, they came for fat. Then carbs. But in a world of shifting dietary villains, protein has won the macronutrient war of attrition.

And won it big. In an annual survey done by the International Food Information Council, a group funded primarily by the food industry, consumers this year reported that “good source of protein” was their top criterion for healthful food, edging out “fresh” and “low in sugar” for the first time.