“Going to look for protein” is the theme that best describes the market shift caused by those consumers who are on GLP-1 weight loss drugs, known scientifically as glucagon-like peptide-1. To be certain, the craze for protein began before the introduction of GLP-1 drugs being made available to U.S. consumers to assist in weight loss. However, GLP-1 amplified the movement to foods with high protein levels, and consumers are now on a mad dash to include more protein in their diets to help keep lean muscle while losing weight.
While the protein movement is underway, numerous studies and surveys have shown consumers using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss have pulled back on dollar spending in the grocery store. Many areas have seen declines in sweet and salty snacks, frozen foods, desserts, and bakery items, to name a few. These individuals are turning toward more foods that are good for them and help keep them satiated until their next meal.
How would you like your yogurt?
Yogurt is the top food product purchased by GLP-1 consumers, according to data from Dairy Management Inc. This product is versatile in flavor profiles, textures, convenience, protein content, and can be zero- or low-fat and zero- or low-sugar. Yogurt also offers functional benefits with prebiotics and probiotics.
In the dairy aisle of the grocery store, yogurt is the third-largest category in dollar sales at $10.8 billion, up 10% compared to a year ago based on rolling 52-week sales data ending on March 23, according to Circana. Natural cheese is the largest category at $19.1 billion in sales, and fluid milk was at $16.3 billion in sales for the same time frame.
2025 is the year of protein
Every time I make a trip to the grocery store, it seems like nearly every food and beverage product I purchase has a label on the front of the package listing the protein content. No matter how meager it may be — such as “5 grams of protein per serving” — it’s still there.
Shakes, bars, snacks, chips, cereal, beverages, pasta, granola, coffee creamers, and many other items can be found with the word “protein” in front of them. This helps draw the eye of consumers looking for protein to purchase those products.
Over the last few years, some dairy processors have come out with top-of-the-line products that would be considered high protein. For example, Chobani has products with 15 to 30 grams of protein. Oikos Pro yogurt by Danone has up to 25 grams of protein per serving. And fairlife’s Elite Core Power line offers 42 grams of protein per 14-ounce shake. The opportunities in the dairy protein space appear to be endless.
Dairy is well-positioned to perform well as consumer demand for protein continues to skyrocket. Not only does dairy deliver high-quality protein, but it also provides 13 essential vitamins and minerals needed by the human body for a well-rounded diet. Although GLP-1 users make up only a small percentage of the U.S. population, their purchasing decisions are fueling the protein fire, which is poised to get even bigger.
