Food firms scramble to meet the high-protein craze

A few months ago, Andy started experimenting with a fitness app. She was advised to significantly increase her protein intake.

The hardest part for her was doing this without increasing her calories.

“So I started looking for high-protein alternatives to the things I was already eating,” she explains.

This included yogurt, milk, coffee, cereal and pasta.

“I realized that everything tasted pretty much the same to me, and I started actively seeking out these foods.”

So she was excited when the Canadian restaurant chain introduced high-protein lattes earlier this year. Andy, who didn't want to give her last name, drinks them without sweetener and describes them as a “decent” product.

Is this a more expensive diet?

Andy, who lives in Vancouver, says prices are already quite high. “High protein usually costs a couple of dollars more, so it's not a big difference.”

Like Andy, you may have noticed the high protein craze sweeping the food sector on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

Surveys show that consumers are increasingly concerned about the protein content of their food.

In the U.S., sales of products labeling themselves high in protein grew 4.8% from March 2024 to March 2025 compared with the previous year, according to research group NielsenIQ.

Milk has been one of the beneficiaries of the protein craze.

Last year saw the first increase in milk consumption since 2009, according to USDA.

This is partly due to enthusiasm for protein.

The so-called “Back to Cows” movement includes products such as bovine colostrum, the protein-rich milk that cows produce shortly after giving birth.

The protein trend is particularly driven by the increasing availability of protein from whey, which is typically a byproduct of cheese production. Whey protein is a billion-dollar sector that continues to grow.

While dairy products are doing well, plant-based dairy alternatives are struggling.

Sales of milk substitutes have begun to decline, mainly due to declining consumption in America. Almond milk in particular is losing market share.

The slowdown in sales is reflected in the slowdown in online conversations. While in 2020 the number of searches for “oat milk” in the US exceeded the number of Google searches for “whole milk”, in 2025 the situation changed. People are now looking for different types of cow's milk more than ever before.

One reason is the perceived naturalness of cow-derived products, including collagen and beef tallow.

According to NielsenIQ, milk's global market value is almost eight times that of milk alternatives ($69.3bn; £50.8bn, up from $8.4bn; £6.2bn).

The market value of milk is also rising much faster.

Plant-based manufacturers are responding to demand for high-protein beverages by including more protein on packaging and reformulating their products to include more protein.

Dietitians are often disappointed by the enthusiasm for protein. They point out again and again that most people in rich countries already consume more protein than they need.

There may be exceptions for certain groups, including people who are severely malnourished, older people, menopausal women and people with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Federica Amati is a Research Fellow at the School of Public Health, Imperial College London. She is also the chief nutritionist for the food company Zoe.

Dr. Amati is concerned that “people are being fooled into thinking that the word 'high protein' on a label necessarily means the product is healthy. Honestly, it’s another health aura.”

While excess protein intake is unlikely to harm the health of most people, “consuming more protein than your body can use in middle age is associated with an increased risk of a variety of diseases, including cancer,” warns Dr. Amati.

“The important point, however, is that plant sources of protein do not appear to increase cancer risk.”

And since most people don't have unlimited money to spend on food, high-protein foods can be a needless distraction.

“Prices for fresh whole foods are rising, so consumers are better off buying more whole foods, as well as standard high-whey natural Greek yogurt without the markup,” comments Dr. Amati. “And remember, most of us can get enough of the protein we need if we eat enough whole foods.”

According to many nutritionists, if anything should be considered a major nutrient, it should be fiber, not protein.

Dr Amati says: “The popularity of high protein foods in general is entirely driven by marketing. Manufacturers can easily [and cheaply] add extra protein to your products and raise the price.”

Businesses are responding to this demand.

At French startup Verley, a series of shiny stainless steel tanks called fermenters contain specialized microorganisms that feed on sugar.

Over time, they will begin to produce beta-lactoglobulin, a protein found in whey.

The team at French startup Verley will then purify the protein, including extracting lactose.

The end result is a high-protein powder that is essentially a dairy product but, according to Werley, is vegan-friendly because it doesn't involve cows.

The process is both traditional and cutting-edge, says Stefan McMillan, CEO of Verley.

On the one hand, fermentation has a long history in French culinary culture, including cheese making.

On the other hand, Wehrli wants to modernize dairy products, improving their nutritional value while reducing their environmental impact. Dairy production requires large amounts of water and land, and generates large amounts of greenhouse gases.

“Our goal is really to help the dairy industry move into the 21st century,” Mr. McMillan says.

Mr Mac Millan is betting that nutrition-conscious consumers will become increasingly concerned not only about getting enough whey protein, but also about getting certain forms of it.

He says some US consumers are now looking for beta-lactoglobulin, which is high in the amino acid leucine, rather than non-specific whey protein.

The growing number of people using the injections to lose weight could also help the company's growth, Mr McMillan said. People concerned about rapid muscle loss may want to try high-protein foods.

He admits that Wehrly protein will be more expensive than whey protein initially. “But given that we bring in more and are sustainable, it’s normal for there to be a premium.”

The company also hopes to reduce costs through greater scale. It is currently seeking regulatory approval in various countries.

In general, when it comes to nutrition, the general public is more likely to listen to friends, families and influencers than to experts like him, admits Jack Bobo, executive director of the Rotman Institute for Family Food Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

This is partly due to the aspirational nature of a lot of fitness content on social media, especially aimed at young men. Most spectators and listeners are not elite athletes, but many strive to eat and drink as if they were.

One of the difficulties is that consumers are somewhat fickle. Soy milk is one of the cheapest high-protein milk alternatives, but it has lost ground to newcomers even as the protein craze has grown.

And social media moves faster than the people producing or regulating food.

For now, it seems smart to focus on protein—whether it's actually healthy or not.