Protein: Now a lifestyle, not a niche?
Insights from Our Latest ‘Taste Collective’ Consumer Survey
At HRA Global, we work closely with brands navigating the ever-evolving food and drink landscape, and few trends have grown quite like protein. To better understand what’s behind the demand, we utilised our consumer panel, The Taste Collective, to run a focused survey on high-protein products: why people buy them, when they consume them, and what they want next. The data paints a clear picture of how protein fits into everyday diets, and what opportunities lie ahead for brands and retailers alike.
Q1: What first influenced you to start consuming high-protein products?
Health, fitness and wellbeing are the top motivators for starting a high-protein journey, but personal recommendation, plant-based diets and even curiosity also play a role.
Fitness/performance goals were the most cited trigger – particularly recovery, strength-building and body composition improvements.
Health needs were a strong second – weight management, ageing, and medical recommendations (including from GPs and dietitians).
Word-of-mouth from PTs, friends and family showed up frequently.
Plant-based eaters called out the need to balance protein more consciously.
Others mentioned trying it out, satiety, and seeing tasty products or influencers online.
Q2: What is the main reason you now consume protein-rich products?
Health is the headline here – consumers want to feel good, manage weight, and stay energised. Brands can lead with wellness-first messaging while layering in functional benefits like satiety and muscle support. The results suggest protein is now mainstream, not just a tool for gym-goers.
Q: What is the main reason you now consume protein-rich products?
Q3: How often do you seek out high-protein foods?
Nearly 70% of consumers are consciously seeking protein multiple times a week, if not daily.
Protein has become a routine part of the weekly (and daily) shop. There’s a solid base of regular users, but a sizeable group of “occasionals” who could be nudged toward more frequent consumption through education, habit-forming formats, or clearer functional benefits.
Brands have a big opportunity to build loyalty and increase repeat purchase with convenience-led, high-frequency formats.
Q: How often do you seek out high-protein foods?
Q4: When do you most often consume high-protein products?
While dinner remains the biggest protein moment, there’s strong potential in breakfast and on-the-go formats. Snackification and meal replacement options are key areas for growth, particularly among those who want to boost protein throughout the day without changing routines.
Q: When do you most often consume high-protein products?
Q5: What’s your approach to protein intake?
The largest group are mindful of protein but don’t track it — they’re open to functional benefits but don’t want to obsess over numbers. One-third eat what they enjoy without considering protein, while nearly 1 in 5 are precision-driven, tracking intake as part of structured fitness or dietary goals. Brands should consider how to appeal to all three groups – simplifying benefits for the lifestyle-led audience while backing up claims with hard data for the macro-counting crowd.
Q: What’s your approach to protein intake?
Q6: How do you feel about the amount of protein you currently consume?
Almost half are making a conscious effort to increase their protein intake – a clear sign of an engaged and growing consumer base. A further 20% think they should eat more but aren’t taking action, indicating a need for clear, accessible communication around how much is “enough” and simple ways to increase intake. Brands could succeed here by providing easy wins (e.g., on-the-go formats, habit-based messaging) to help turn intent into action.
Q7: Has your protein intake changed in the past year?
This is a rising category. The majority of consumers are eating more high-protein products than a year ago, showing that demand is still rising. Low levels of drop-off suggest strong satisfaction once protein becomes part of the routine. For brands, this highlights the importance of onboarding new customers well – because when people adopt protein, they tend to stick with it.
Q: Has your protein intake changed in the past year?
Q8: What protein sources do you consume regularly?
Traditional protein sources (dairy, meat, and eggs) are still king, but over half of respondents also use plant-based options. Bars and RTDs are gaining serious ground as functional, snackable formats. This shows that convenience and dietary flexibility are important to modern consumers. There’s an opportunity here for brands to hybridise, combining natural ingredients with convenience formats.
Q: Which of the following protein sources do you consumer regularly?
Q9: Are you interested in trying alternative protein sources?
Yes, definitely – 45.03%
Maybe, if the taste is good – 31.79%
No, I prefer traditional protein sources – 19.87%
I already eat alternative protein sources – 3.31%
The appetite is there – especially if you can crack the taste barrier. Plant-based, fermented, and lab-grown formats all have room to grow if framed as tasty, familiar, and complementary to the consumer’s existing diet.
There’s strong openness to alternative proteins, especially if they taste good. While actual adoption remains low, the interest is high — and likely to grow as consumers become more environmentally conscious. Product innovation must prioritise flavour and familiarity if it wants to win over curious but cautious eaters.
Q10: Which high-protein brands/products do you buy?
Most Commonly Mentioned Brands & Products:
- Arla (protein yoghurts, milk drinks) – Highly popular across various responses
- Huel (shakes, bars, meal replacements) – Repeated frequently
- MyProtein – Commonly cited for powders, snacks
- Grenade – Bars mentioned multiple times
- Eat Natural / Trek / Fulfil / Barebells / Kind / For Goodness Shakes / Nature Valley – Popular high-protein snack bar brands
- Supermarket own-brands – Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, M&S, and others mentioned many times
- Meat, eggs, chicken, fish, dairy – Most frequently mentioned non-branded staples
- Vegan/plant-based: tofu, tempeh, seitan, Quorn, Frys, Green Cuisine, Richmond – mentioned by a smaller but noticeable group
- Form Nutrition, Clif, TORQ, Tribe, Team RH – Mentioned among niche or performance-focused consumers
The category is dominated by trusted, accessible names and own-label products — with convenience and value shaping most decisions. Unbranded staples still drive much of the protein intake, especially among natural food consumers.
Q11: How do you decide if a product is high in protein?
| 45.03% – I check the nutrition label for grams of protein |
| 27.81% – I look for “high protein” claims on packaging |
| 11.26% – I buy brands I already trust for protein content |
| 14.57% – I don’t check, I just buy what I like |
| 1.32% – Other |
Front-of-pack claims matter, but don’t forget the back-of-pack. Clear labelling is essential. Consumers want to feel reassured at a glance but also have confirmation when they turn the pack over.
Consumers are looking for protein clarity – either via the nutrition panel or prominent on-pack claims. Half the audience flips the pack to check the numbers, but a large share just wants reassurance. Ensure both types of cues are present. Front-of-pack claims like “20g protein per bar” are key to winning fast decision-makers.
Q12: Which protein health claims appeal most?
Natural and satiety-based claims are more appealing than muscle or gym-related messaging. This is a reflection of the mainstreaming of protein beyond the fitness aisle.
These results suggest consumers want to know that protein is naturally occurring, and are drawn to satiety more than sport-related benefits. Clean label, minimal processing, and real-food positioning will resonate better than performance nutrition cues for the majority.
Q13: Where do you usually buy protein products?
Supermarkets dominate, making in-store visibility and merchandising critical. Online is an important (but not dominant) secondary channel. Health and specialist stores serve niche audiences. So, if your protein product isn’t visible in the supermarket, you’re missing 9 out of 10 shoppers.
Q14: What would make you buy more protein products?
The sweet spot is clean-label, affordable, and tasty. Consumers are savvy – and their expectations are rising. Brands need to deliver on ingredients and flavour while justifying their price point.
Convenience, sustainability, and flavour innovation remain important, but only after simplicity, value and flavour needs are met.
Q: What would make you buy more protein products?
Final Thoughts
These findings confirm what we’ve long suspected. Protein has officially gone mainstream!
No longer just for gym-goers or niche dieters, it’s now a key part of daily eating habits across the board. From health-conscious snackers to fitness trackers and busy parents, there’s growing demand for products that are easy, affordable, and high in quality.
For brands, this means it’s time to double down on flavour, format, and function, and lead with messaging that speaks to real life, not just the macros.
Want help turning these insights into strategy? Whether you’re launching a new protein range or refreshing your messaging, our team at HRA Global can help. You can get in touch here.
