While Americans rarely agree on what they should be eating – aside from the adage of “eat your fruits and vegetables” – there is one consensus right now and it’s that they want more protein and less sugar.
Eating more protein is second only to eating more vegetables for most Americans - suggesting a desire to eat healthier, according to data from a survey of 3,000 consumers by The New Consumer.
More Americans say they’d rather feel 25% healthier than earn 25% more money, especially Boomers, according to The New Consumer data presented by the publication’s Founder and Editor in Chief Dan Frommer, who shared findings during the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City earlier this week.
Protein is top of mind for shoppers as Greek yogurt, protein bars, shakes and cottage cheese were the most popular basket items across Instacart, according to the e-grocery platform, which provided data to New Consumer’s survey.
Whether protein is a cultural shift, a diet trend or a portal into more complex nutrition insight, the macronutrient’s prevalence across categories is reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s “low fat” trend that sparked innovation across the food system.
Do Americans know how much protein they need?
Within the protein buzz, American’s don’t know how much protein they need, according to the survey.
“People have this number in mind, but it’s not the right number … they kind of don’t really know what it means,” Frommer said.
A growing share of consumers, especially younger ones, say they have a daily protein target. But when asked to name it, most land far below recommended ranges.
Two-thirds cite goals under 50 grams per day, according to The New Consumer. Protein intake depends on body weight and activity level, but it should make up between 10% - 35% of total daily calories, according to Harvard Health.
For example, a 5’5 inactive 35-year-old woman who weighs 140 pounds will need 28 grams of protein a day, whereas a woman with the same height and weight who is highly active will need 51 grams a day, according to USDA’s Dietary Reference Intake calculator.
Uncertainty around how much protein to consume suggests a broader point in nutrition awareness: Where protein served as muscle or metabolic support in the past, consumers now consider it a catch-all idea that signals better health regardless of how much is needed, Frommer noted.
The result? Consumers show highly intentional behavior despite building those intentions on shaky understanding.
Identifying the right protein fit
As protein dominates the nutrition conversation, how are brands aligning (or misaligning) with these demands? While some brands responded by pushing protein into more products, data shows that protein doesn’t need to be in every food, according to New Consumer.
Where protein wins is in foods where it feels like a natural or corrective addition like breakfast staples (i.e. cereal, yogurt, milk), snack formats (bars, shakes) and carb-heavy products (bread, soups).
Categories like alcohol (beer, RTD cocktails) containing protein are viewed as “weird” by consumers; whereas indulgent formats like gummies, soda, chocolate and even coffee ride the line between consumers’ curiosity and rejection.
But the interest in these gray area categories may hinge more on generational preference.
“Younger consumers think it’s more natural to add protein to more products … and are more interested in trying these products than older consumers,” Frommer emphasized
A generational split in what feels “normal”
Gen Z and Millennials are keener to try protein in unconventional places – protein water, protein candy – because they’re willing to explore new delivery ways for the macronutrient to optimize their health and energy. Yet, older consumers are much more skeptical in protein showing up across categories. For them, protein is relegated to more traditional categories like meat, dairy or shakes, according to the survey.
Generational differences also shape discovery.
While consumers overall cite personal research and friends as top influences for new product, Gen Z and Millennials are influenced by algorithms (i.e. social media creators, tracking apps and wearables, podcasts, AI tools), according to the survey.
The sugar problem, and the rise of substitutes
If protein reflects what consumers want more of, sugar represents what they want less of.
Nearly half of Americans say they’re trying to cut back on sugar, the single most cited reduction across diets, according to the survey.
But what replaces sugar is where things get divisive among generations. Younger consumers are far more accepting of alternative sweeteners, viewing them as “just as healthy” or healthier than sugar. On the other hand, older consumers remain deeply skeptical of these ingredients.
Notably, the rise of alternative sweeteners has flipped the traditional narrative around sugar.
“The substitute has become the original,” while the original (sugar) is increasingly viewed as the problem, according to an article written by Mike Lee, author of The Future Market Substack.
Lee explains how Coca-Cola switched its sweetener from sugar to high fructose corn syrup in the 1980s as a cost-cutting measure, but it ostensibly changed the taste palate for Americans.
“Coke didn’t lose drinkers when it switched to corn syrup. A whole generation grew up on the new version, and the new version is what their brains learned cola was supposed to taste like. The cheaper formulation didn’t just survive the swap. It became the reference point. By the time anyone tried to sell a cane-sugar Coke back to Americans, it tasted off to most of them,” he said.
Even language around sweeteners plays a role, according to Frommer.
“Cane sugar” receives a far better health halo than “sugar,” despite being fundamentally the same ingredient, he explained.
Meanwhile, unfamiliar sweeteners benefit from an awareness gap among younger consumers who didn’t grow up with earlier debates around aspartame that older consumers experienced.
Where this leaves protein
Consumers want more protein, but don’t understand how much they need. Could it be too much marketing around increasing consumption? Could it be a lack of nutrition education and conflicting views from health professionals and dietary guidance? The answer is far from singular.
While some consumers embrace protein in certain products, they reject it in others. Yet, many consumers trust its benefits instinctively – afterall, it is an essential macronutrient – even if they don’t know how much to realistically consume, according to the survey.
