Summary of Europe’s meal‑replacement trends
- European meal replacements set for strong growth driven by innovation
- GLP‑1 users boost demand for high protein nutrient dense mini meals
- Brands launch smart shakes offering vitamins fibre probiotics and cognitive support
- Snack bars emerge delivering complete nutrition with plant protein and braincare
- Longevity focused products grow using lower methionine proteins and Mediterranean ingredients
The meal replacement category has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years.
Once consisting of a small assortment of bland powders and shakes targeted towards medical use and ultra-busy ‘tech bros’, it’s now a booming market with broad appeal for those interested in general health, weight management or convenience.
Valued at a little over $2bn (€1.7bn) in 2024, the European meal replacement category is set reach $3.9bn by 2033 (Research & Markets) as hectic lifestyles and health awareness drive demand, and a strong pipeline of innovation scales up distribution.
Here are three trends that look set to shape much of that growth in 2026.
‘Mini meals’ for GLP-1 users
With use of GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy gaining pace in several European markets – users doubled in the UK in 2025, from 2.3% to 4.1% of households, according to Kantar – a swathe of brands and retailers are creating tailored ‘GLP-1 friendly’ meal replacement solutions.
As the medication significantly reduces calorie intake, by as much as 39% according to some studies, these innovations tend to be high-protein, nutrient-dense meal alternatives that ensure users don’t miss out on vital macro or micronutrients.
This month alone, UK supermarket Asda launched high-protein ‘power pots’, specifically formulated for those with reduced appetites.
Similarly, Co-op unveiled a range of GLP-1 friendly ready meals as part of its new health initiative ‘Good Fuel’. The four ‘mini meals’ are rich in protein and fibre, and each contains at least one serving of the recommended five-a-day fruits and vegetables.
‘Smart’ shakes and snacks
As the expectations of health-conscious consumers become ever more sophisticated when it comes to functionality, modern meal replacement shakes now claim to provide far more than enough calories – and this shift is attracting new entrants into the category.
In April 2025, Sneak – known for its zero-sugar powdered energy drinks and RTD cans - launched a range of nutritionally complete, high-protein meal replacements. The powdered shakes contain 30g of protein per serving, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, gut-friendly prebiotics and probiotics, and Brainberry Aronia berry extract which the brand says is “clinically studied to improve focus and cognitive performance”. Like predecessors Soylent and Huel, the range is targeted at those looking to optimise health, but without time to spend in the kitchen, “whether you’re a gamer, a creative or just someone on the go.”
In July, plant-based BOL Foods also expanded its Power Shakes range with what it claimed to be the UK’s first ‘naturally-powered’, whole-food based, nutritionally complete meal on the market. The shake combines ‘real’ blueberry juice, oats and vanilla, while delivering the same nutrient benefits as the rest of the range – 25g of protein, 5g of fibre, naturally low sugar and 26 essential vitamins and minerals.
And in October, Huel released a light version of its nutritionally complete meal replacement drink without compromising on functional benefits. Available in strawberry, chocolate and banana flavours, the drinks claim to support muscle strength via plant protein, gut health via chicory root fibre and calcium, skin, hair and nails via biotin and zinc, and energy via a full vitamin B complex, but at less than half the calories of its original shake (190 versus 400kcal).
Beyond shakes, Australian meal replacement brand Vybey, which made its European debut in 2024, expanded into ‘nutritionally optimal’ snack bars, with the launch of Complete Nutrition in March 2025. The 80g bars are made with dates, gluten-free oats, almonds, pea protein, coconut powder and tapioca powder, and are positioned by the brand as ‘brand and body’ nutrition. They combine 20g of plant protein, with ‘healthy fats, gut-friendly fibre and braincare nutrients to boost focus, memory and all-round cognitive health.’
Longevity boosters
Though currently less established in Europe than the US, longevity looks set to drive innovation in meal replacement products in 2026 and beyond.
Far longer lifespans - in Western Europe, people born in 2024 will live nearly 17 years longer than those born in 1950 – have seen interest in healthy, active ageing surge in recent years, sparking a boom in supplements and food products geared toward benefits such as cellular health.
One of those to capitalise is Novos, which launched its ‘Longevity Bar’ in July 2025. Formulated in collaboration with researchers, a dietitian and a Michelin-trained chef, the bars incorporate 15g of protein with other ingredients that, say the brand, are associated with cellular and metabolic health. It uses a protein blend, for example, that is lower in methionine and isoleucine compared to whey. These two amino acids have been linked to reduced lifespan in animal studies. It also prioritises ingredients common to the Mediterranean diet, such as olive oil, honey and rosemary extract.
In September, nutrition technology firm L-Nutra also launched the Prolon L bar – a longevity-focused plant-based protein bar formulated to ‘support muscle health and healthy ageing as well as fuelling workouts.’ Each bar contains 14g of protein, 170 kcal, and is naturally sweetened with whole dates which the brand says provides a more balanced glycaemic response.
The future of meal replacements
As meal replacements shift from niche to mainstream, the category’s evolution is clearly being shaped by broader cultural forces — from the rise of GLP‑1s to growing interest in cognitive performance and longer, healthier lives.
What once centred on convenience alone is fast becoming a convergence point for personalised nutrition, functional health and modern eating habits.
With consumers demanding more from every calorie, and brands racing to meet increasingly targeted needs, 2026 looks set to be a defining year for innovation.
