How Protein Became the Biggest Selling Point in Fitness Food
Once a staple of bodybuilding gyms, protein is now being added to everything from coffee to cereal. How did one nutrient become such big business?
Athletes World
• Once reserved for bodybuilders and serious gym-goers, protein has become a major selling point in everyday foods, from shakes and bars to coffee, cereal and snacks.
Protein used to be something bodybuilders mixed into shakes after lifting weights. Now it's in cereal, chips, ice cream and even your morning coffee.
In 2025, Starbucks introduced protein drinks containing up to 36 grams of protein. By 2026, the average American supermarket carried nearly 39,000 products advertising their protein content, according to NielsenIQ figures reported by the Associated Press. (Starbucks, 2025) (Associated Press, 2026)
Protein has become more than a nutrient. It's become a reason to buy something.
In 2025, Starbucks introduced protein drinks containing up to 36 grams of protein. By 2026, the average American supermarket carried nearly 39,000 products advertising their protein content, according to NielsenIQ figures reported by the Associated Press. (Starbucks, 2025) (Associated Press, 2026)
Protein has become more than a nutrient. It's become a reason to buy something.
