What will define food trends in 2026? Summary
- Protein remains the dominant macronutrient trend across global food categories
- Analysts predict protein and fibre “maxxing” will decline by 2030
- Ingredient experts expect protein sodas and functional “protein-plus” products to surge
- Functional food market worth €317bn today will more than double by 2032
- Global protein demand rising with Asia emerging as a major growth opportunity
Food trend predictions are rolling in as experts forecast what consumers will be eating in 2026. We’ve done our own research, speaking with ingredient suppliers – those closest to manufacturers’ demands – to uncover the trends set to shape the year ahead.
The overwhelming consensus? 2026 will be defined by one dominant food trend – and one macronutrient. That macronutrient is, unsurprisingly, protein.
Protein, protein, protein - even in soda
The protein trend is not new; high-protein claims have been popping up on products in almost every category, from yoghurt through to cereal and even crisps. But in 2026, analysts are expecting this trend to at least begin to abate, moving towards a much more diversified diet by 2030.
That’s what Mintel is predicting. The market analyst expects protein and fibre “maxxing” to fall out of favour, and diets to balance out with a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, spices and yes, proteins.
But the “maxxing” trend is not abating now, nor will it in the coming 12 months. At least that’s not what ingredients experts, including those at Arla Foods Ingredients, are predicting. The company’s senior director of performance nutrition, Peter Schouw Anderson, admits his bias working in the protein space. But at the same time, he can’t ignore that it’s the food giants of this world launching “unique protein products” right now.
That fact is undeniable. The world’s biggest, Nestlé, has developed a line of high-protein frozen ready meals and developed a proprietary whey microgel to boost protein content in milk drinks. Danone is also leaning heavily into the high-protein craze, developing shots containing 10g of protein to support muscle health.
So what will the protein craze look like in 2026? Arla Foods Ingredients is predicting many more protein sodas, made with the beta-lactoglobulin fraction of whey, to hit the market. Anderson even revealed some “big brands” are already working on it. “It’s going to be a big thing next year.”
Adding a functional boost to protein
Arla Foods Ingredients is far from the only supplier predicting protein to dominate, or continue to dominate, in 2026. But others foresee protein being the dominant trend – with a twist.
It’s no secret that functional food and drink is having a moment. Globally, the functional food and beverage market is currently worth €317bn, and is expected to more than double by 2032. So what if the high-protein craze could blend in with demand for added functionality? That’s a trend FrieslandCampina Ingredients is coining “protein-plus”.
In practice, that means formulating a product with a high protein content, and then adding a functional ingredient that comes with an added health benefit. Fibre is a good example, explains Sophie Zillinger Molenaar, global marketing execution lead. Why wouldn’t a consumer opt for a high-protein yoghurt, for example, with added dietary fibre for a gut health boost?
“Applications are booming,” says Molenaar, to the extent that protein is almost no longer a differentiator – it’s simply expected by consumers. Even coffee chain Starbucks is selling Protein Lattes and Cold Foam Drinks that deliver up to 36g of protein per grande drink. Frozen dairy, from ice cream to yoghurt, is another category that’s been getting the high-protein treatment.
It may not be long until they’re also reformulated to become “protein-plus” products: high in protein, but with an added functional extra boost.
Expansion opportunities in protein trend
With Starbucks leaning into the high-protein trend, it’s clear the craze has hit the mainstream. In the US alone, it’s estimated 40% of yoghurt carries the “high protein” label. But globally, that’s a very westernised view. Protein is undeniably a major trend in food and drink, but not the world over.
Andrew Taylor, executive vice president of food and drink at global biosolutions company Novonesis, chose not to name one single trend for 2026, but a few. Clean label is one, protein is another. However the protein trend varies according to geography, he stresses. Yes, it’s big in the US and Europe, where it “keeps going up and up”, but it’s only now beginning to infiltrate Asia.
“In a lot of other countries, it’s just starting,” he explains. “We think it’s going to be a trend that has legs.”
Other health and lifestyle trends, like weight management, will only serve to grow demand for protein as consumers look for ways to feel fuller for longer and maintain muscle – particularly when taking GLP-1 drugs.
What’s the bottom line from these ingredient experts? The high-protein trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And on a global scale, the market is far from saturated – there’s still plenty of room for growth.
