The Economist: Catering to protein-rich diets is a tasty business

Alongside the crisps in the snack aisle, supermarkets are now stacking shelves with roasted chickpeas, cheese bites and beef jerky.

An array of high-protein alternatives is appearing alongside low-fat and low-sugar foods. Dairy sections are packed with hard-to-pronounce fare such as skyr and kefir.

High-protein diets have become mainstream.

On social media, food and fitness influencers recommend protein.

Celebrities have made it trendy to look strong, rather than skinny. A trend is verging on an obsession.

Google searches for “high-protein diet” reached their highest point ever in January.

Some 64 per cent of Americans want to increase the amount of protein they eat, according to the Hartman Group, a research firm, leaving old favourites like fibre and whole grains trailing.

In Britain Ocado, an online supermarket, reckons over 40 per cent of consumers have increased their protein intake over the past year. So what explains the insatiable appetite?

Gym bunnies have been wolfing down protein for decades. More recently the less buff have also realised that protein can help them build muscle while feeling fuller for longer.

Kantar, a market-research firm, estimates that spending in British supermarkets on protein-packed sports nutrition products, like bars and powder, reached £143m ($300m) in the 12 months to February, almost twice as much as in the same period three years before.

Juergen Esser at Danone, a French dairy giant, says hunger for protein first took off among youngsters who want to look muscular.

It soon spread to older people eager to stay strong and healthy.

The pandemic got people worrying about their health and spurred demand.

Now food firms are anticipating a rush of interest from users of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, which suppress appetite.

The popularity of weight-loss drugs is growing fast.

Over 8 per cent of Americans were on GLP-1s by the middle of last year, according to Numerator, a data firm. The share is rising in other rich countries.

As users seem to lose muscle as well as fat, many are turning to protein to tone up.

A study from Cornell University finds that a switch away from processed foods means that household spending on groceries drops by 5.5 per cent on average when at least one person begins using GLP-1 drugs.

The range of high-protein snacks on offer in supermarkets has expanded from shakes aimed at gym-dwellers, with hyper-masculine black packaging and brand names like Barebells and Grenade.

Food businesses have launched an array of new products.

Nestlé, a Swiss firm, sells protein-loaded frozen pizza and pastas.

Conagra Brands, an American company, recently launched a range of ready meals labelled “GLP-1 friendly”.

Even Mars is flogging high-protein versions of its chocolate bars.

High-protein products are also helping firms bulk up.

Revenues at Danone increased by 4.3 per cent in 2024, driven by high-protein yoghurts and drinks.

Sales by the firm’s high-protein unit have jumped to €1b ($2b) from around €400m ($800m) in 2021, far outpacing growth in the wider business.

The question is whether the trend has gone too far. Everyone needs protein to maintain muscle, control blood sugar and much else besides. But the science around how much is uncertain.

The World Health Organisation recommends 0.83 grams a day per kilogram of body weight. By that measure, the average American or Briton consumes too much.

For food firms already struggling to tick several boxes it is yet another challenge.

Consumers do not only want more protein and less ultra-processing, but also more plant-based food and anything good for the gut.

Danone is working on “hybrid” dairy products that combine regular milk protein with the plant-based sort, which can be easier to digest and better for the planet.

Biotiful Gut Health, a producer of kefir, is focused on high-protein products with natural ingredients.

The Curators, a British snackmaker, has another balancing act to perform.

When the firm began making soya and lentil chips, it settled on 10 grams of protein per bag. Recipes with more were not as tasty.

And as food fads come and go, a decent flavour may be the most enduring requirement of all.