A decade ago, protein was around, but wasn’t in your face. The need to get extra protein outside of whole foods was mostly for gym goers would have a protein shake made from powder or from a brand like Premier Protein, Oikos, Core Power, and Quest. Protein is, of course, an essential nutrient that helps us build, grow, and repair the body, but 10 years ago, the need to maximize protein intake was relegated to gym bros.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while everyone was home, health came to the forefront. The perception of protein was that it was good for immunity and strength. Higher consumption of fish, eggs, seafood, fruits, meat, and milk had a positive effect on COVID-19 recovery. The World Health Organization also emphasized how important it is to have a healthy diet. Eating protein, among other vitamins and minerals, would aid in a well-balanced diet in order to have healthier and stronger immune systems, which in turn lowered the risk of chronic illness and infectious diseases.
This mainstreaming of protein has led to the nutrient being injected into every kind of food possible — candy, chips, waffles, granola bars, pretzels, and cereal. This shift in protein being everywhere began in the mid-2010s. Kodiak Cakes released its protein mix, Kodiak Protein Packed Power Cakes, in 2014, for anyone looking to have a healthy and full breakfast. Quest came out with its first chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar in 2010, followed by protein chips in 2014. Magic Spoon released its protein cereal with zero sugar and 14 grams of protein in 2019, with its vibrant and eye-catching designs.
Amanda Nazario, registered dietitian for San Diego State University dining, has seen this protein trend throughout her career. She thinks the shift came with the popularization of weight-loss medications.
“I definitely think the perception of protein shifted once GLP-1s kind of came more common on the marketplace, per se, like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaros,” she told Spoon University, noting that people on these medications need to consume more protein. “That’s kind of when the societal shift of protein just shifted to more protein for all. And this is reflected in the markets and grocery stores.”
And brands have met the protein demand. Since then, the protein-filled products don’t just come from health-focused brands, but also nostalgic brands whose products you’ve been enjoying since childhood. Pop-Tarts released its protein tarts in November of last year with three flavors. Kraft’s PowerMac hit shelves in April 2026 with 17 grams of protein and six grams of fiber. ONE Brands teamed up with candy giant Hershey’s for their own spin on this trend. Over the past year, the ONE x Hershey collaboration has brought four different protein bars to the market: two Reese’s versions, and two Hershey’s chocolate versions.
“A lot of snacks out there currently [are] great vessels for protein, and maybe we’re capitalizing on it,” Nazario said. “Like granola bars, adding pea protein powder or whey protein can kind of bump the satiety. I think people are just ever-evolving and trying to make snacks healthier and kind of limiting the quote unquote empty calories.”
There’s no denying that it’s challenging to know whether an item labeled as containing protein actually is healthy or if it’s not that much different than the original product. Matt Rosenman is a content creator who posts tips and opinions on protein products. According to him, the difference between healthy and health-washed can vary. For example: Original Pop-Tarts contain 2 to 2.5 grams of protein per tart, and the protein version contains 5 grams of protein — not a huge difference. But Kraft’s original mac and cheese has 8 to 9 grams of protein per serving, whereas the protein version has 17 to 18 grams of protein. And a normal Hershey’s chocolate bar has 3 grams of protein versus each ONE brand x Hershey brand collaboration, which contains 18 grams of protein. “If you’re at the grocery store, the easiest thing to do is to compare the protein product versus the original product,” he told Spoon University. “Look at the nutrition facts and ingredients against the regular product to see how big a difference there is.”
The Atkins diet, the low-fat diet, the low-carb diet have all had their moments in the spotlight, but the protein diet, unlike the others, focuses on a wider demographic: teenagers, adults, and seniors, who have items targeted for specific audiences.
“Naturally, it was a very easy thing to market because everybody knows that protein is good for you, so there’s not much that you have to teach somebody,” he told Spoon University. “So once the market kind of caught up that protein was the focus, then it became very easy for products to continue to market that, and then it just took off.”