The protein revolution trend in the food industry has exploded beyond fitness enthusiasts to become a mainstream phenomenon, with major corporations reformulating iconic products to meet consumer demand.
The Rise of Protein-Packed Products in America’s Food Industry
In today’s health-conscious marketplace, one nutrient stands above all others in consumer demand: protein. From cereal aisles to ice cream freezers, the protein trend in the food industry has transformed from a niche fitness focus into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Major food corporations and innovative startups alike are racing to capitalize on America’s growing protein obsession, reformulating classic products and launching new protein-enhanced offerings at an unprecedented pace.
According to a 2025 Bain survey, 44% of U.S. consumers now want to increase their protein intake—a remarkable ten percentage point jump from just one year ago. This surge in demand has created a protein marketplace projected to reach $126.3 billion by 2028, up from $89.9 billion in 2019.
But what’s driving this protein revolution, and is it here to stay? Let’s dive into how the protein trend in the food industry is reshaping what we eat and why major companies are betting big on this nutritional powerhouse.
From Niche to Mainstream: The Evolution of Protein Products
The protein supplement market was once dominated by bodybuilders and serious athletes consuming chalky shakes and bars. Today, protein has gone mainstream, appearing in everything from breakfast cereals to desserts.
General Mills, one of America’s largest food manufacturers, has embraced the protein trend in the food industry by launching high-protein versions of iconic brands like Cheerios and Wheaties. Between 2020 and 2024, the company published 78 protein-related patents—50% more than in the previous five years, according to PitchBook data.
Similarly, pasta maker Barilla introduced its Protein Plus line back in 2005 but has seen unprecedented growth recently. “What we’ve seen in the last three years is demand that we haven’t seen before, in the double digits. It has been unprecedented,” notes a Barilla representative.
How Startups Are Disrupting the Protein Market
While established food giants reformulate legacy products, innovative startups are creating entirely new categories within the protein trend in the food industry.
The Protein Ice Cream Revolution
One of the most surprising developments is protein-enhanced ice cream. Protein Pints, founded in 2023 by friends Paul Reiss and Michael Meadows, exemplifies this trend’s explosive growth potential.
“Ten, 15 years ago, it was hard to find something with protein that actually tasted good,” explains one of the founders. “But now, today, there’s companies like us bringing ice cream to the table that people can actually enjoy.”
In less than a year, Protein Pints expanded from just 14 stores to over 7,000 nationally, including major retailers like Target and Kroger. The company projects $20 million in revenue this year—a staggering increase from less than $100,000 last year. They now sell a pint every 3.5 seconds.
The Competitive Advantage of Protein-First Brands
New brands built around protein have a unique advantage over legacy companies trying to reformulate existing products. As Protein Pints’ founders note: “We get to build the brand from nothing in the sense that we build that trust with the consumer, that this is the product. We are protein versus somebody else has to rebrand their product that is not known for functional benefits.”
This authenticity resonates with consumers who might be skeptical when traditional brands suddenly tout protein content in products that weren’t originally designed with nutrition in mind.
Corporate Giants Embrace the Protein Trend in the Food Industry
The protein revolution isn’t limited to small startups. Some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies are heavily investing in protein-enhanced products:
General Mills: Beyond Cereal
General Mills has expanded its protein offerings across multiple categories. “We have protein news in most of our categories,” a company representative states. “We now have a $100 million business in cereal and protein, things like Cheerios protein and Nature Valley protein. We have the biggest protein bar in the bars category in Nature Valley protein.”
Kraft Heinz and Starbucks Join the Protein Party
Even products not traditionally associated with protein are getting makeovers. Kraft Heinz has revamped Lunchables packaging to highlight protein content, while Starbucks is testing high-protein cold foam on coffees. West Coast coffee chain Dutch Bros rolled out protein coffee about a year ago, extending the protein trend in the food industry into the beverage sector.
The Dairy Industry’s Protein Windfall
The dairy industry has particularly benefited from the protein boom. Whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking and key ingredient in many protein powders, has become a significant revenue stream. U.S. production of whey protein concentrate jumped from 27 million pounds in January 2004 to nearly 43 million pounds twenty years later.
What’s Driving the Protein Obsession?
The protein trend in the food industry isn’t happening in isolation. Several cultural and medical factors are converging to elevate protein’s status:
GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs
The popularity of GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy has increased focus on protein consumption. These drugs can decrease appetite, making nutrient-dense, protein-rich foods more important for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss.
Social Media Influence
Fitness influencers and celebrities constantly promote high-protein diets and products across social platforms. From protein-topped popcorn to protein burritos, social media feeds are saturated with protein-focused content.
Health Perception Without Diet Stigma
Unlike fats or carbohydrates, protein has largely escaped diet culture vilification. As NPR’s All Things Considered podcast points out: “You go back to the low-fat diets of the 90s or the Atkins low-carb craze of the 2000s. But protein, it’s never really had a ‘bad reputation.'”
A Cargill trend report found that 61% of consumers reported increasing their protein intake in 2024, up from 48% in 2019, highlighting protein’s growing popularity.
The Business Impact of the Protein Trend in the Food Industry
The financial implications of this trend are substantial for food companies:
Ready-to-Drink Protein Shakes
The ready-to-drink protein shake market has attracted major players like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Celsius. Premier protein shakes accounted for over 80% of BellRing Brands’ net sales in fiscal 2024, helping drive the company’s stock price up more than 200% over a five-year period.
Protein Pasta’s Explosive Growth
Barilla reports that its protein pasta market has seen 20% year-over-year growth over the last three years, with nearly 80% of that growth coming from its Protein Plus line. “We’re seeing increased appetite for protein. I don’t know if it’s because of GLP [medications] or just the consumer evolving in their nutritional preferences,” a company representative notes.
Protein Snacks Outpace the Market
According to research funded by beef stick company Chomps, protein snacks are growing at three times the rate of the overall snacking industry, accounting for $24 billion in sales in 2024.
Challenges and Considerations in the Protein Market
Despite the enthusiasm, the protein trend in the food industry faces potential hurdles:
Taste and Texture Concerns
Many consumers worry that adding protein changes a product’s taste and texture. “When you add something or change the composition to try to make something ‘healthier,’ people are still going to benchmark the taste. They’re still going to benchmark the texture in their mouth,” explains a food industry expert.
This is particularly challenging for iconic brands like Cheerios, where consumers have strong expectations about how the original product should taste.
Nutritional Reality Check
Many Americans may already consume adequate protein through their regular diet. According to FDA guidelines, a product with 20% or more of the daily recommended value of protein is considered “high protein”—meaning many foods like Greek yogurt already qualify without special formulation.
Nevertheless, Chobani reports that 85% of Americans want to increase their protein intake in 2025, suggesting perception may matter more than nutritional necessity.
Is the Protein Trend Here to Stay?
Industry experts and food companies are betting that the protein trend in the food industry has staying power. As one analyst notes: “These companies wouldn’t make this decision to double down on their investment in protein, and have to defend that to shareholders and investors, if they didn’t believe that this was a trend that was here to stay.”
Barilla’s experience supports this view: “It has been in existence in our portfolio for over 20 years with solid growth. We’re seeing explosive growth in recent years, but it is a hallmark to health in general for consumers. It’s just getting its moment in the sun right now, but it’s not going to go away because people will always need protein and they will always want protein that tastes good.”
How AI Is Shaping Protein Consumption Habits
Interestingly, artificial intelligence is also playing a role in perpetuating the protein trend in the food industry. Many consumers now use AI tools like ChatGPT to create meal plans and shopping lists. These AI systems often recommend high-protein products, reflecting the marketing emphasis placed on protein by food companies.
“I was using AI to build a diet plan that tracked not just my protein, but also my fats and my carbs. And then I used ChatGPT to put together a shopping list,” shares one consumer. “What was super interesting was that when I actually clicked on some of the items that it told me to buy, they were some of these high-protein items, and I really think that it goes to speak to the volumes that these companies have put into marketing these products.”
The Future of Protein Innovation
As the protein trend in the food industry continues to evolve, companies are already planning their next protein-focused launches. General Mills mentions “big launches coming up in Q4 and next year,” while other food manufacturers are exploring new protein sources and applications.
The protein revolution shows no signs of slowing down, with consumers increasingly seeking products that deliver both nutrition and indulgence. From ice cream to coffee, pasta to cereal, protein is reshaping America’s food landscape—one gram at a time.
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Post Your Job Listing Now →FAQ About the Protein Trend in the Food Industry
How is the protein trend in the food industry impacting product development?
The protein trend in the food industry is revolutionizing product development as companies reformulate classic products and create entirely new categories. Major food manufacturers like General Mills have published 50% more protein-related patents between 2020-2024 compared to the previous five years, while startups are creating innovative protein-enhanced products from ice cream to snacks.
Why are consumers increasingly focused on protein consumption?
Consumers are increasingly focused on protein consumption due to several factors: the popularity of GLP-1 weight loss medications that emphasize nutrient-dense foods, social media influence from fitness influencers promoting high-protein diets, and protein’s reputation as a nutrient that hasn’t been vilified by diet culture. A 2025 Bain survey found that 44% of U.S. consumers want to increase their protein intake.
Which food categories are seeing the most growth from the protein trend in the food industry?
The food categories seeing the most growth from the protein trend include ready-to-drink protein shakes (with companies like BellRing Brands seeing 200% stock price increases over five years), protein snacks (growing three times faster than the overall snacking industry), protein pasta (experiencing 20% year-over-year growth), and protein-enhanced breakfast cereals (representing a $100 million business for General Mills).
Is the protein trend in the food industry just a passing fad?
Industry experts believe the protein trend in the food industry has staying power rather than being a passing fad. Companies are making substantial investments in protein product development and marketing, which they must justify to shareholders. Additionally, protein has maintained consistent consumer interest over decades, with some products like Barilla’s Protein Plus pasta showing sustained growth for over 20 years before the recent explosion in popularity.
How are startups competing with established brands in the protein market?
Startups are competing with established brands by creating “protein-first” products built around nutritional benefits from the ground up, rather than reformulating existing products. This gives them authenticity advantages with consumers who might be skeptical of legacy brands suddenly promoting protein content. Companies like Protein Pints have leveraged this strategy to grow from 14 stores to over 7,000 in less than a year, projecting $20 million in revenue.
