How suppliers can move health beyond protein

Evolving consumer expectations around health and increasing GLP-1 use could reshape some away from home occasions, creating a need for operators to consider how their propositions may need to evolve.

While eating out often provides an opportunity to indulge or treat, the role of health varies significantly. For some, health considerations may take a back seat, while for others, they are becoming increasingly important, meaning some sectors and occasions are likely to feel the impact of healthier eating more strongly than others.

GLP-1 use also continues to rise, with 6% of consumers being on the medication in June and a Wegovy pill format broadening access. For GLP-1 users, reduced appetites could influence where they eat out, how often, what they order and how much.

Operators have been responding to these challenges with healthier options, but most product development focuses on protein counts and callouts. A strong focus on protein risks narrowing the health proposition towards the most health engaged, rather than addressing the wider range of needs that health encompasses.

Operators and suppliers should consider how they can broaden their offer to prepare for tomorrow’s evolving health landscape. Our recent research trip to Cologne and Frankfurt reveals how German operators are moving past the most health engaged, decoupling health from protein and connecting health to wider wellbeing benefits.

Moving past the peak performers

Only 11% of consumers are fully engaged with health when eating and drinking out of the home. These peak performers are generally younger, higher income consumers that focus on intense physical health and restrict bad things from their diet.

A range of product developments, designed to enhance or call out protein, is largely answering the needs of these consumers. But a lot of this misses the wider opportunity, where health is important to consumers but not the top priority.

Boowly In Cologne recognises this and offers a range of healthy, yet indulgent salad bowls, sandwiches and smoothies. Its Muscle Up smoothie speaks to peak performers without putting off less engaged consumers, pairing bold flavours and visually exciting colours to signal a healthier options, whole avoiding complex protein counts.

Suppliers: support health innovation by bringing nutritionist expertise in-house and working with development chefs to find the intersections between functional and desirable ingredients, colours and flavours. Then work with your foodservice customers to co-create healthy, yet indulgent product propositions.

A more considered approach to GLP-1s

Aside from a few examples, such as Boots Boost meal deal designed for GLP-1 users, much of the UK’s healthy product innovation fails to decouple protein from calories and other nutrients, making it hard for GLP-1 users to find smaller, nutrient dense or personalised meals.

GLP-1 use has doubled since June 2025 and widening accessibility and acceptance means that this will continue to rise. This translates into fewer occasions or consumers choosing smaller, lower calorie nutrient dense options.

For operators looking to better serve GLP-1 users, there is an opportunity to move beyond simply adding or calling out protein. Operators can learn from Macai, who’s matcha and acai bowl range naturally supports flexibility. Instead of assuming GLP-1 users will value your products, let them decide what to add and what to remove.

Suppliers: enable flexible propositions with healthy product ranges and ingredients that easily slot into build-your-own concepts. Private label or branded nutrient add-ons, clear and accurate calorie and nutrient information and health forward descriptions can go a long way to guide GLP-1 friendly choices.

Connecting health to wider wellbeing benefits

Health is rarely at the top of the agenda when eating and drinking out of the home, with consumers often willing to protect the occasion. Rather than getting stuck into the details, many use shortcuts, such as familiarity with a product or recommendations from friends or family to decide what’s healthy.

Operators and suppliers need to make sure they don’t lose the excitement of eating out for the sake of healthier food and drink. German food to go specialist Die Grune shows how to do this well. It helps to clarify the benefits of its nutrient dense, low carb options with simple visual cues and clear messaging.

This speaks to the most health engaged consumers, while making the link between nutrients and wellbeing benefits easier to see. If health considerations become more relevant across a broader range of consumers, messaging linked to wider wellbeing benefits, such as muscle maintenance and gut health, could be increasingly important.

Suppliers: begin with consumer insights to understand the change in wellbeing consumers want to see, then work back from there to product propositions you can deliver with your existing range and that match your foodservice customers’ offers.

While health will not shape every away from home occasion, expectations are becoming more varied to include options that support performance, weight management and wider wellbeing goals. Operators do not need to assume health will become a priority for everyone, but they should prepare for it to play a greater role for some consumers and occasions. Suppliers have a clear role for helping them respond.