Protein is winning
The active‑nutrition market is doubling down on protein — RTD shakes, high‑protein snacks and protein‑enriched foods are the fastest‑growing formats as consumers chase satiety and muscle support, industry reporting says How protein is shaping active nutrition in 2026. Social threads backing clean, protein‑forward meals (eggs, chicken, bone broth) are also trending as everyday, affordable options for people who run and cycle SolBrah thread on routines bone broth snack example.
Ready-to-drink protein beverages were valued at about $2.11 billion in 2026 and are projected to grow at a 7.7% CAGR through 2031. (mordorintelligence.com) Premier Protein retained roughly a 26.4% share of the U.S. RTD shake market as of Sept. 28, 2025, even as BellRing said RTD shakes accounted for more than 80% of its net sales and warned of margin pressure from higher ingredient and promotional costs. (investing.com) PepsiCo pushed deeper into grocery protein in late 2025–early 2026, announcing refreshed Muscle Milk and Propel protein innovations and launching a bottled Starbucks Coffee & Protein line carrying 22 g of protein and 5 g of prebiotic fiber on Feb. 26, 2026. (newfoodmagazine.com) Snacks are following drinks: SNAC reported U.S. snack sales hit $156 billion with a 4.8% rise, and industry briefs from Conagra/Circana flagged “protein-forward” and portion-controlled protein snacks as top growth subcategories. (snacintl.org) Bone-broth formats have moved into portable products — Bare Bones and LonoLife market instant stick packs delivering about 10 g protein per serving, and WILDE sells chicken-and-bone-broth-based "protein chips" with roughly 10 g protein per serving. (walmart.com) Market researchers and retail analysts say products carrying protein claims are outpacing non-protein SKUs in sales growth, with Circana and SPINS identifying protein as a primary active‑nutrition growth lever for everyday exercisers as well as athletes. (uschamber.com) Forecasts put the broader protein-packed foods market well into double digits: analysts estimated about $71.9 billion in 2024 for “protein‑packed” foods with projections to roughly $129.1 billion by 2032 (≈7.7% CAGR). (verifiedmarketresearch.com)
