Beyond trends and new medications, America's protein obsession reflects a fundamental shift toward intentional nutrition — one that Danone has proudly supported for decades and will continue to shape for generations to come.
GLP-1 drugs have underscored the importance of protein, but Americans’ appetite for nutrient-dense products is not solely due to the GLP-1 movement. Consumers in the U.S. crave foods that nourish their bodies as much as their taste buds, and there’s more than a decade of research to prove it.
Google searches for “high protein foods” have been trending upward for decades within the U.S., and in 2013, industry researchers named the U.S. the biggest market for high-protein products. Two years later, one-quarter of American adults said they sought out protein on nutrition labels — up from 18 percent in 2004.
Since then, interest has only continued to surge. Last year, the International Food Information Council announced that 71% of American consumers wanted to add more protein to their diets — up from 67% in 2023 and 59% in 2022. The bottom line? High-protein snacks are here to stay. And at Danone, we believe that food and beverage companies have an important role to play in helping consumers understand their changing nutritional needs.
As a nutrition science leader within the food and beverage industry with brands including Oikos, Silk, Too Good & Co. and Activia, Danone North America has spent decades fortifying our portfolio with health-focused formulas and ingredients. Now, we’re helping GLP-1 patients understand their unique nutrition challenges with a dedicated educational hub packed with science-backed dietary recommendations and easy-to-follow recipes.
“During the Super Bowl last month, we saw a 50% spike in searches related to weight loss medications, with 21% of the overall GLP-1 discussion focused specifically on nutrition-related conversations,” said Whitney Evans, Director of Nutrition & Scientific Affairs for Danone North America. “When we realized how many GLP-1 consumers are looking for reliable information about how to protect their health, we knew our nutrition expertise and decades of scientific research could play a meaningful role.”
The GLP-1 market is already massive, and in the years to come, it will only continue to grow.
According to a recent study, an estimated 8 to 10 percent of Americans are already taking these medications while 30 percent to 35 percent are interested in using them. In total, the GLP-1 market is expected to reach $150 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, weight loss medications bring their own set of nutritional demands, and GLP-1 users are looking for reliable advice to help them make necessary changes to their diets. Searches related to weight-loss drugs spiked 50 percent during this year’s Super Bowl, and 21 percent of those searches focused on nutrition.
Danone has spent decades helping consumers reach their health goals with nourishing, science-backed formulas that never sacrifice flavor. Now, we’re building a robust set of resources that cater specifically to GLP-1 patients.
Our educational hub offers easy, actionable insights to help GLP-1 users navigate their evolving nutritional needs. With help from trusted experts, we’ve built a targeted nutrition guide that distills mountains of advice down to six crucial topics — helping patients better understand their needs when it comes to protein, fiber, added sugar, hydration, vitamins and minerals, and calcium and vitamin D.
In February, we also decided to bring answers straight to the public by hosting a GLP-1 Nutrition Group Chat on Instagram — in which registered dieticians spent five hours answering viewers’ questions and offering simple, actionable advice to help GLP-1 users.
“We wanted to offer readers more than just a product page,” Evans said. “With our educational hub and outreach events, we’re giving consumers on GLP-1 medications the nutrition information they are looking for to make choices, increase protein intake, maintain muscle mass and bone density, and sustain good nutrition.”
Because many of our nutrient-dense offerings are naturally suited to meet GLP-1 users’ specific dietary requirements, many of Danone’s brands have seen a spike in sales among those taking weight-loss medications. In addition to protein, many of these products pack in key nutrients like vitamin D and calcium. Whatever consumers’ specific goals might be, we have a nutritious product line tailored to their needs.
Our Oikos portfolio can help GLP-1 users meet their protein needs, which is a priority nutrient during weight loss to help minimize muscle loss. With 20g and 10g of complete protein, respectively, Oikos Pro yogurt cups and shots pack in the protein with a rich, creamy texture and 0g added sugar. Oikos Triple Zero offers a rich, nutrient-dense formula 15g protein, 0g added sugar, zero fat, and zero artificial sweeteners.
As the most versatile lower-sugar portfolio in the yogurt aisle, Too Good & Co. products offer a sweet treat that consumers will never regret later. Too Good & Co. Blended offers 12 grams of protein with two grams of sugar, while Too Good & Co. Zero Sugar delivers 13 grams of protein with zero sugar — and both pull it off without any artificial sweeteners.
Meanwhile, our most indulgent yogurt line, Light + Fit Greek, loads 12 grams of protein into mouth-watering flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake and Boston Cream Pie.
Although most consumers want to eat healthy, 20 percent of Americans believe they lack the skills required to cook balanced, nutritious meals. To help streamline kitchen time, Danone’s in-house Nutrition and Scientific Affairs team and registered dietitians have prepared simple recipes that provide key benefits for GLP-1 users.
All of our recipes prioritize nutrition and accessibility. They take under an hour to make and feature reasonable, straightforward ingredient lists designed with our busiest consumers in mind.
“We know that consumers are turning to health-promoting snacks, in part, because of their convenience,” Evans said. “Our expert-backed recipes make it easy to add even more nutrients at mealtime without spending hours shopping or in the kitchen.”
Regardless of the cause — health goals, GLP-1 medications, or simply a desire for better nutrition — America's demand for protein is here to stay. In this new landscape, Danone is proud to not only be meeting this moment but helping define the future of food and nutrition.
