It appears that, on top of shrinking the appetite and caloric intake of individuals taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Wegovy, these weight-loss drugs may also take a toll on their desire to cook.
Al Salomon, a 27-year-old Utah resident, recently told Bloomberg that, when she first started taking a GLP-1 medication to lose weight, she would prepare entire meals yet have no desire to enjoy the fruits of her labor after the fact.
“By the end, I was so tired and not interested in eating,” Salomon explained, noting that the medication had not only suppressed her hunger and desire to eat food but also her interest in preparing it.
As a result, Salomon prefers to maintain a supply of frozen meals that are pre-packaged in smaller portions instead of cooking them from scratch – and she has no shortage of convenience-forward options at her disposal.
According to the Bloomberg article, there has been a significant uptick in frozen entrées that are specifically marketed to GLP-1 users as of late, and this trend is expected to continue its upward trajectory as adoption of these medications surges.
These developments have sent shockwaves through the food and beverage industry, prompting brands like The McCormick Company to focus on flavor over food as other F&B companies “compete for calories,” in the words of McCormick CEO Brendan Foley.
The hysteria is not entirely unfounded either, as a recent report by J.P. Morgan revealed that GLP-1 users tend to consume roughly 21% fewer calories and spend 31% less on groceries than they did before taking these medications – a phenomenon that’s projected to result in an annual revenue drop of $30 billion to $55 billion by 2030 to 2034 for the industry.
This is why many companies have already begun diversifying their portfolios and launching entrées packed with loads of fiber and protein but few calories that are designated as ‘GLP-1 friendly’ on packaging.
‘GLP-1 Friendly’ Meals Surge Despite Regulatory Ambiguity
As VP of total wellness at NielsenIQ, Sherry Frey oversees the company’s research on GLP-1s and shared her insights on the topic with The Food Institute.
“At NIQ, we have started to track products with ‘GLP-1 friendly’ claims and have seen sales go up 11.2% in the last 52 weeks,” Frey told FI.
“We also track foods that are qualified to be beneficial for GLP-1, and those sales are up 2.9% in the latest 52 weeks.”
Frey noted that there’s no standard or regulatory definition for ‘GLP-friendly’ currently, but the NIQ’s working definition focuses on products that are rich in protein, fiber, and unsaturated fat but low in added sugars and saturated fat.
Nutrient Density Becomes a Key Area of Focus
Frey also acknowledged that, while the science is still evolving, emerging research has shown that nutrient adequacy can be a concern, with some GLP-1 users falling short of the recommended daily amounts of key nutrients, including minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, D, E, K, B1, B12, and C.
“Because of that, for many in the industry, the conversation is moving from specific nutrients to an overall discussion on nutrient density,” Frey explained.
In addition to the aforementioned vitamins and minerals, research shows that many GLP-1 users also have deficiencies in other important nutrients like protein and fiber, which is why up to 40% of the weight lost during treatment could be lean body mass.
“Without enough protein, weight loss can come at the expense of lean muscle, contributing to strength loss, slowed metabolism, and higher injury risk,” Jennifer Rawlings, a registered dietitian and the owner of My RDN Coach, told FI.
Devon Golem, a registered dietitian at The Nuanced Nutritionist, added that only 43% of GLP-1 users are getting adequate protein.
These deficiencies are not all that surprising, given the reductions in overall caloric intake associated with GLP-1s, which brings me to my next point: portion sizes.
‘GLP-1 Friendly’ vs. Shrinkflation
As food inflation continues to rise due to a wide range of factors, consumers have become more aware of and sensitive to price increases. While some food companies hike prices, others adopt the ‘shrinkflation’ approach: reducing the size or quantity of a product that’s sold at the same price point.
Because my background is in marketing, I find it especially interesting that consumer perceptions of a product can be radically different depending on how an attribute like portion size is positioned via the messaging on packaging and in promotional materials.
For instance, small portions are often considered a pain point when viewed through a shrinkflation lens; however, they become a selling point when labeled as ‘GLP-1 friendly.’
Like many things in life, context is key. And as Dr. Shy Vishnumohan, an accredited practicing dietitian and food scientist, pointed out, small portions are pointless unless they are also nutrient-dense.
“A smaller portion only becomes a real benefit if the product is also nutritionally better designed. GLP-1 users do not just need less food. They need better-targeted, more nutrient-dense food,” Vishnumohan told FI.
“A clinically useful GLP-1 product is usually smaller, but also of higher value nutritionally (think nutrient density). I’m not anti-convenience or anti-processed food. I’m interested in whether a product is genuinely useful, nutritionally worthwhile, and realistic for the person using it in real life.”
The Food Institute Podcast
At SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Food Institute VP of Content and Insights Chris Campbell sat down with Mathieu Brisson, Global Sales Lead at Prestige Maple, to discuss how the company is transforming maple products for a rapidly evolving global food and beverage market.
