The trend: The protein boom is extending into a wider range of foods and grocery items, according to an October Circana report. Between June 2025 and June 2026, consumers increased their protein intake across multiple grocery categories, measured by the percentage change in grams consumed:

• Noodles and pasta (+15%)
• Desserts, such as cakes, cupcakes, and snack cakes (+13%)
• Fruit drinks, juices, andades (+13%)
• Breads, muffins, donuts, and pastries (+13%)

Protein consumption also rose YoY in other segments spanning nutritional drinks, salty snacks, coffee, rice and grains, candy, and cereal.

Why it matters: Protein is becoming a baseline expectation for food and beverage brands, with 50% of adults seeking to consume more, up 8 percentage points from last year, per Circana’s 2026 research. Consumers increasingly associate protein with health, wellness, and metabolic management, while growing GLP-1 use is fueling demand among patients seeking to preserve muscle mass during weight loss.

But as brands flood grocery aisles with protein-packed products, not all deliver the health benefits shoppers expect when they purchase these items. Higher protein content doesn’t necessarily make a product more nutritious, particularly if it’s also high in added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat. That’s especially relevant as protein expands into less conventional categories like desserts and salty snacks, highlighted in Circana’s research, where dietitians caution consumers to look beyond protein content and scrutinize other ingredients and nutritional information.

Implications for food and beverage brands and marketers: As more brands tout higher protein content, consumers will likely apply their already discerning eye for nutrition labels to more closely evaluate whether protein products deliver significant nutritional value. Some 79% of US adults check nutrition information on food packaging when grocery shopping at least some of the time, and 44% say front-of-package nutrition labels always or often influence their purchase decisions, per a June International Food Information Council survey. Some shoppers are growing skeptical of high-protein marketing that exaggerates benefits or downplays less desirable ingredients, according to an October Reuters story.

As protein moves into more grocery segments, simply advertising a product as “high protein” will likely become less effective at distinguishing it from competitors. Marketers should move beyond promoting protein content alone and connect protein to specific health goals and needs, such as staying full longer, supporting muscle health, or maintaining nutrition during weight loss. Companies that additionally highlight protein alongside other attributes, such as fiber content, ingredient quality, and lower added sugar, may be better positioned to appeal to health-conscious shoppers scrutinizing product labels and stand out.

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