“Protein and fiber are winning because they sit at the intersection of multiple durable consumer needs: weight management, satiety, metabolic health, and ‘food as medicine,’” L.E.K. Consulting’s Manny Picciola told FI.
The modern consumer is looking for food and beverages that do more for them, both providing explicit “functionality” and facilitating an overall healthy lifestyle. Better-for-you shoppers also tend to have higher incomes and have higher weekly food budgets, making them an attractive target demographic.
Moreover, in the year ahead, consumers across all income levels anticipate spending more on categories that facilitate personal health and wellbeing, suggesting that brands that innovate with these need states in mind are set to gain market share.
Source86’s Eran Mizrahi noted that brands will also continue to focus on protein and fiber value propositions because consumers understand them and retailers know how to position them within the store. There are myriad components that contribute to making a food item “healthy,” but fiber and protein are clear signals that today’s consumers are looking for.
For brands, however, he warned that these changes are not as simple as the marketplace makes it seem – 25% of new product launches contain a protein claim, yet it requires reformulations and modified supply chains.
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