Americans want more protein—in five minutes or less

If there’s two things shaping American food habits, it’s convenience and—you guessed—protein.

In fact, per Circana’s latest report, Eating Patterns in America, consumers are eating way more protein than recommended and less than half the amount of fiber, pushing grocery and food retailers to churn out more protein-rich products.

Indeed, 48% of those surveyed said they wanted more of it, marking a 7 percentage point increase from 2025, and reaching 65% among those taking GLP-1s.

Naturally, food retail is catching on to the protein push. Meals described as “high protein” now account for 12% of commercial foodservice occasions, up 11% from a year ago. According to NielsenIQ, the average US supermarket carries 38,708 products that tout their protein content. Meanwhile, major retailers like Costco have seen the sales of “anything protein” remain strong thanks in part to the interest of GLP-1 shoppers.

Interestingly, if there’s one thing Americans focus on besides protein, it’s faster and easier meals.

About half of all meals now require less than five minutes of prep—a figure that has risen since 2021. That includes 65% of breakfasts, 56% of lunches, and 35% of dinners.

It’s also why fast food chains are facing strong competition, not from other chains but from supermarkets like Kroger and Whole Foods that have made significant investments in quick, ready-to-eat, and prepared meals.

Meanwhile, as more workers head back to the office, half of Americans are eating breakfast away from home before 9am with early morning meals dominating. Frozen dinners and entrées now also make up nearly 5% of in-home eating occasions, compared to less than 1% in the 1980s.

We already know that the protein craze infiltrated many industries beyond food such as skin care. At the same time, retailers cannot discount the value of speed as quick delivery, easy-to-use formats, and frictionless checkout experiences continue to gain consumer attention.