5 ways GLP-1s are reshaping how consumers eat

GLP-1 food trends overview

• Brands are launching nutrient-dense products tailored to GLP-1 users
• GLP-1 popularity is accelerating demand for protein and fibre
• Smaller portions require greater nutritional value, not less
• GLP-1 users influence household eating habits beyond medication users
• Weight-loss maintenance presents significant opportunities for food brands

GLP-1s have already begun to transform the food landscape, changing the dietary patterns of users drastically, and even having the potential to influence the diets of the population at large.

Caroline Young, head of insights at the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), explains the ways in which GLP-1s are reshaping food, and how their popularity is feeding into existing trends.

1. Products are being launched that appeal to GLP-1 users, but not overtly

Product launches are increasingly aiming at GLP-1 users, explains Young. “I expect more on the way.”

As well as products, IGD has seen a lot of innovation and messaging that would appeal to GLP-1 users.

Yet this is not overt GLP-1 messaging. Instead, it is about fulfilling the needs of GLP-1 users for smaller, more nutrient-dense products, and meeting user needs in terms of taste.

“Most brands in this space are not shouting ‘GLP-1 friendly’, they are simply providing benefits that users are looking for.”

In fact, users have reported that overt GLP-1 messaging is not actually what they want, due to concerns around privacy and stigma.

2. GLP-1 feeds into existing popularity of protein and fibre

The popularity of GLP-1s is likely to boost the popularity of protein and fibre.

Protein is the nutrient mentioned the most when GLP-1 users explain what they’re looking for, says Young. It is also the nutrient consumers are advised to prioritise in order to maintain muscle mass as they lose weight.

Fibre is the “next frontier”, says Young, as many consumers try to prioritise fibre alongside increased hydration.

These trends are not new. “Protein was already booming before GLP-1s came into the mainstream. Fibre and functional nutrition were also growing in interest.” What is new is the need to develop smaller products dense in these ingredients, fulfilling a need specific to GLP-1 users.

IGD’s data suggests that while consumers are intending to eat more protein and fibre, they’re not always succeeding.

3. Smaller portion sizes will offer more

While GLP-1 users want smaller portions, simply reducing pack sizes will not cut it.

Consumers want portion-controlled food with the right nutrients. “If consumers feel like they are simply getting less food for the same money they won’t see that as solving a GLP-1 need,” Young stresses.

The demand for smaller portions could boost the premiumisation trend. GLP-1 users are eating more intentionally and making fewer impulse purchases, and snacks are often more premium.

Some categories, such as premium chocolate, are thriving in the GLP-1 era. According to chocolate company Lindt, sales of premium chocolate in the US went up by 17% with GLP-1 users in 2025, but only by 6.5% in non-GLP-1 households.

4. GLP-1s are shaping habits for non-users

The GLP-1 halo effect – the phenomenon where the eating habits of GLP-1 users influence the habits of those around them – is “one of the most underappreciated effects” of the drugs’ popularity, explains Young.

If there is a GLP-1 user in a household, this impacts what said household buys and cooks, especially if the user is the main cook or food buyer, she explains.

Some people have told IGD that if their spouse is using GLP-1s, it impacts their own weight loss even if they are not using the drugs, as they adopt their partner’s consumption patterns.

5. Maintenance could be the next step

As GLP-1s shift the food landscape, maintaining weight loss could be the next step, Young suggests. Many GLP-1 users struggle to maintain weight loss unless they use the drugs consistently.

“Over the next two years we will see more users, more medication formats, more people cycling on and off treatment and an increasing number trying to maintain weight loss once the ‘food noise’ returns post-medication.”

In this landscape, brands and products that successfully help consumers maintain their weight loss will be the long-term winners.

Overall, it is only the beginning of the transformational effect GLP-1s will have on the food landscape, says Young.