Proteins fueling emerging nutrition trends

As shoppers look to improve their overall health, they’re shifting their food choices away from ultra processed foods and turning to healthier options. One of the food and nutrition trends that has emerged from this change is an increased focus on foods with functional health benefits.   

Research from a recent 84.51° Consumer Digest found that shoppers of all ages feel the food they eat is important when it comes to managing their weight, their heart health and their energy levels. This concept of food as medicine offers opportunities for brands to connect with shoppers who are looking to store shelves for groceries they feel can help them improve their physical and mental health.  

The rise of protein

Shoppers have many strategies they are planning to use to accomplish their health goals in 2025. One of the top nutritional therapies they’re looking to adopt is to increase their protein intake. In our January 2025 Consumer Digest esearch shows that 47% of shoppers plan to eat more protein as part of a healthy diet.   

This sentiment mirrors a growing trend across the United States, as consumers modify their habits in response to various clinical trials that have shown that eating a high-protein diet can help with weight loss, build muscle, and support bone health. When asked to describe in their own words what “healthy eating” means to them, one respondent in our research defined it in part as having “protein with every meal.”  

This trend is also driving the growth of protein-enhanced products — foods and beverages that have animal or plant-based proteins added to them to increase their nutritional value. Many factors influence shoppers’ purchasing behaviors when choosing these products. For example, our research reveals that while households across various income brackets purchase cold cereal, high-income households (those making $150K+ annually) dominate protein-enhanced cereal purchases, while households earning $35K-$49K show the lowest adoption. 

Actionable opportunities to inspire

Brands that turn these insights into action can develop more targeted marketing strategies and engage these health-conscious shoppers through meaningful experiences that help them achieve their goals. Delivering targeted and personalized offers in categories that align with shoppers’ health objectives enables brands to drive growth that results in incremental trips and sales. And product listing ads allow brands to boost individual protein-rich products in highly trafficked placements across the site to help grow brand sales from both new and existing shoppers.​ 

Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), the retail media business of Kroger powered by 84.51˚,  is designed to inspire consumers and connect them to brands through relevant messages and experiences that make their life easier. Part of that process includes identifying the best touchpoints for the brand.  

Our research found that the top techniques shoppers use to manage their eating habits include meal planning and/or diet planning (32%), using a mobile app (28%), keeping a food diary or journal (20%), and working with a dietician or nutritionist (20%) for personalized nutrition. These resources present a wide array of opportunities for brands to refine their approaches and enhance their visibility. For example, brands can leverage KPM’s first-party retail data to inspire and connect with purchase-based audiences via social and influencer campaigns that reach customers looking to incorporate protein into their meals at the time and place they’re seeking inspiration.   

KPM’s programmatic capability also enables brands to activate and measure the effectiveness of campaigns ranging from targeted on-site display ads to online video and connected TV. These capabilities present a myriad of opportunities for brands to reach and educate the 57% of shoppers who said they’d like to receive nutrition information while shopping at a grocery store.   

Get more insights about how shopper desires are shaping emerging nutrition trends 

Our Consumer Digest tracks shopper attitudes and behaviors to help brands understand how to best meet customers’ changing needs as they look for ways to make healthier food choices. To learn more about nutrition trends for 2025 and the opportunities they present for brands to connect with shoppers focused on health and nutrition, download our infographic, “The healthy basket shift: How shoppers are rethinking food choices.”

Download the infographic