Protein is everywhere across food and drink categories right now — bread, pasta, snack cheese, even coffee. Mintel data shows food and beverage launches carrying a high-protein claim quadrupled between 2013 and 2024.
Protein has spread so far that the industry has stopped calling it a trend at all — which makes it a fascinating test of innovation. What does a new protein product’s potential look like when the shelves around it are already full of protein claims?
We tested five food products across four categories:
Here’s what they reveal about how to win with protein.
We tested the products using Zappi’s Innovation System and scored them against the US food innovation norms. We assess each product on two headline measures of potential:
Only one of the five products we tested stands out as distinctive: Babybel, at 80% against a 71% norm. And that’s down to its probiotics rather than its protein. The other four all sit in line with the norm — Kraft (68%), Utz (70%), Nature’s Own (71%) and Barilla (72%).
At the same time, Kraft and Babybel (66%), Utz (63%) and Nature's Own (61%) all sit well above the 54% norm for advantage. Consumers don’t think these are new ideas but they clearly perceive them as better. Barilla Protein+ Stars Pasta is the only product that’s in line with the advantage norm simply because the Protein+ line has been on the shelf for years and all that’s changed is the shape.
That’s what a trend entering the mainstream looks like — it’s nothing new but it’s a better option. As one respondent put it: “I’m always looking for new ways to get good proteins. This seems like a better alternative than some of my other choices.”
In every product we tested, people name protein alongside something else — a taste that hasn’t changed, a format they already know, a brand they trust, gut health, a shape their kids would like, etc. Very few praise the protein on its own. Reassurance is key as people are looking for proof that adding the protein hasn’t changed anything they already liked.
This is what gets people interested in buying. Kraft added 17g of protein and reduced the fat in the same cheese stick people have eaten for decades and it lands in the top 10% of US food innovations for trial potential (92).
Babybel is the only one of the five products that added an actual second benefit — the probiotics — and it’s the only product that beat the norm on distinctiveness (80% vs 71% norm). But it lands at 68% on unpriced trial potential, exactly the same as Utz and Nature’s Own — neither of which is more distinctive than the average food innovation. The second benefit makes the product stand out, but it won’t necessarily convert better.
Utz loses 15 points of purchase likelihood when its $5.39 price appears (from 68% unpriced to 53% priced). Barilla, at $2.99, is the only product in the set whose purchase likelihood goes up (from 65% to 67%) comparing unpriced to priced. People appreciate the added nutritional benefit of the protein, but they won’t pay extra for it.
Babybel added 5g of protein and a billion live LGG probiotic cultures to its wax-wrapped mini cheese, for 50 calories and only four ingredients.
It leads on breakthrough potential among the five products we tested and it lands in the top 15% of US food innovations for trial potential (Breakthrough Potential: 97, Trial Potential: 85).
Pairing protein with the benefit of probiotics immediately stands out to consumers:
The probiotics add to distinctiveness, scoring 80% (vs. 71% norm) — and the only product we tested to beat the norm — while advantage sits well above norm too (66% vs. 54%). Consumers see it as both a different idea and a better one than what’s available.
Before people know the price, the product is very appealing — purchase likelihood is 68% (vs. 62% norm). But once we show the price, purchase likelihood drops to 58%, in line with the norm.
So while the probiotics make Babybel stand out, they don’t make it easier to sell at its price.
Where the probiotics might earn their place is in their potential to attract new buyers. Protein is a claim everyone already recognizes, while probiotics give some people a different reason to pick the product up:
Kraft took a format that has been in American lunchboxes for decades and adapted it to how people eat now — a bigger stick carrying 17g of protein, with half the fat of its standard cheddar and five ingredients.
Amanda Vaal, Director of Brand Marketing at Lactalis Heritage Dairy described the strategy as “delivering familiar taste people love in a traditional cheese stick and 17g of protein per serving to keep consumers energized and ready for anything.”
It has the highest trial potential out of all products we feature here (92), with a high breakthrough potential of 81. It’s also the only product to score well above the norm on both unpriced and priced purchase likelihood (71% vs. 62%, and 64% vs. 58%), and it generates the warmest emotional response with a Love score of 35% (vs. 25% norm).
This is a familiar brand in a familiar format which is why distinctiveness is in line with the norm (68% vs. 71%). Where the product really stands out is on advantage (66% vs. 54% norm). Consumers read it as an upgrade to something they already buy rather than a new thing to try:
Protein is the most-mentioned reason people like it (in 29% of comments) — but it almost never comes up on its own. What people attach to it are things like staying full, a taste that hasn’t changed, the convenience of the stick format and the short ingredient list:
So protein isn’t carrying this product on its own. It works because Kraft added it without taking anything away — the taste, the format and the convenience are all still there.
America's number one selling bread brand put 22g of protein and 9g of fiber into a two-slice serving, keeping the “no artificial preservatives” promise it’s known for.
Even in a carb-led category, adding protein now reads as the standard — distinctiveness sits in line with the average food innovation in the US (71% vs. 71% norm). As we’ve been seeing, protein does make the product better than others in the market, with advantage significantly above norm (61% vs. 54% norm). That combination gives it the most evenly balanced breakthrough (77) and trial potential (77) of all products we tested.
As one respondent put it: “I like that it has protein and no artificial preservatives, making it a healthier option for everyday sandwiches without costing too much more than regular bread”.
It also scores well above the norm on brand believability (87% vs. 80%), meaning people trust Nature’s Own to deliver what it promises:
That trust is exactly what Flowers Foods has been investing in. In May 2026 it relaunched the full Nature’s Own portfolio with up to 38% fewer ingredients and Non-GMO Project verification under a new “Real. Soft. Bread.” positioning.
The whole campaign is built around transparency, with John Cena named the brand’s “Breaducator,” and the Breaducate Yourself site publishes the before-and-after ingredient lists.
Utz brought 8g of pea protein to a classic salty snack, keeping the cheddar flavor and crunch pretzel buyers are already familiar with.
Alongside this product, the brand is investing in a whole protein line — three pretzel flavors and two cheese curls.
The Mini Twists Pretzels score a breakthrough potential of 73 and trial potential of 72, and similar to Kraft and Nature’s Own, it wins on advantage (63% vs. 54% norm) rather than distinctiveness (70% vs. 71%).
In every other product we tested, protein is the number one thing consumers mention they like. For Utz, it’s the cheddar — “flavor” is in 31% of comments while “protein” is mentioned in 27%.
In the salty snacks category where people buy mainly for pleasure, protein isn’t the main reason to pick it up — but it’s more of an added benefit:
The product has a strong purchase likelihood at 68% (vs. 62% norm), but it drops to 53% (vs. 58% norm) once consumers see the $5.39 price tag.
Protein in an indulgence category can earn attention and it makes the snack feel more justifiable, but it doesn’t earn a premium.
Barilla added a star shape to its Protein+ line, with 17g of plant protein and 10g of fiber per serving from lentils, chickpeas and peas.
To launch it, the brand teamed up with choreographer and Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough on Protein+ Training Timers — bodyweight workouts you can finish in the 8 to 10 minutes it takes the pasta to cook, with moves named after the shapes.
The product has the lowest breakthrough (71) and trial potential (44) scores of all the five products we tested. With the protein already well-established across the line, a new shape on its own isn’t enough to make people see the product as either more different or better than the average food innovation.
But it’s the only product whose purchase likelihood goes up once price is shown (from 65% unpriced to 67% priced, landing well above the 58% priced norm).
At only $2.99 for a 14.5 oz box, the added benefit of the protein — which normally carries a premium — costs the shopper nothing extra.
Barilla is also above norm on price meeting expectation (26% vs. 11% norm) — the only product we tested that clears the norm on that metric. Almost half (47%) of consumers also consider it affordable, compared to 28% for Nature’s Own and 24% for Utz.
The shape is also a big part of why people like the product, especially because it appeals to kids:
Barilla has been making Protein+ for years, so the protein isn’t the news. What’s left to work with is format and that’s what reaches a new audience.
Four of the five products we tested beat the norm on advantage — Kraft and Babybel at 66%, Utz at 63% and Nature’s Own at 61% (vs a 54% norm). Only Babybel beat it on distinctiveness (80% vs 71% norm) because it combines probiotics and protein.
Protein is making these products feel advantageous to consumers but it no longer makes them feel different from the average food innovation. This is the clearest sign that adding protein to food is now officially mainstream.
The difference comes from what else the product brings. Kraft kept the taste and convenience people already liked. Nature’s Own leaned on a brand people already believe in, Utz led with its cheddar flavor people love, Babybel added probiotics, while Barilla changed the shape.
Those choices split into two strategies. Kraft, Nature’s Own and Utz used the pairing to reassure the buyer — and all have high trial potential.
Babybel and Barilla used it to reach new audiences. For Babybel, it’s gut-health shoppers who’d otherwise reach for yogurt, people who find cheese hard to digest and GLP-1 users looking for protein-dense snacks. For Barilla, it’s parents buying protein for their children.
The only product that didn’t lose purchase likelihood at its price point is the cheapest one we tested (Barilla at $2.99 a box). Now that protein has entered the mainstream, it won’t carry a premium on its own.
Innovating with protein still pays off and people see the benefits. But protein alone won’t necessarily make the product stand out. Distinctiveness comes from whatever you pair it with, and the brands growing fastest are using it to reach a buyer they didn’t already have.
Looking to understand how consumers will respond to your new innovation ideas before launch? You can test and optimize your innovative new concepts with Zappi’s connected Innovation System. Get a demo to learn more.
And to make sure you never miss one of our Innovation Spotlights, subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter.