Pop-Tarts, Doritos, and Uncrustables have joined the protein craze taking over America’s snack aisle
Food giants are catching up with the latest diet obsession.
If you thought coffee, popcorn, or beer were the last dominoes to fall in the race to protein-ify everything… think again. The rising (pep)tide has now come for America’s favorite toaster pastry.
On Tuesday, Kellanova, the maker of Pop-Tarts, Eggo waffles, and Pringles, said it’s rolling out a “Pop-Tarts Protein” range in early November. The new offering will come in its three classic flavors: strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and blueberry, each containing 10 grams of protein per serving.
The launch comes after PepsiCo teased high-protein Doritos just last week, and JM Smucker released a protein-packed version of its Uncrustables earlier this month. All are part of the wider rush from consumer packaged goods giants to reframe even their most processed snacks as healthy or functional, as the GLP-1 and wider fitness boom continue to affect our shopping and eating habits.
In the last couple of years, protein has even overtaken carbs in the diet discourse: Google search interest for “high protein” has surged ahead of that for “low carb,” which had long dominated diet trends before the pandemic.
According to Bain & Company’s April research, 44% of US consumers said they aim to eat more protein — up from 34% a year earlier and ahead of other trending foods surveyed, such as supplements and vitamins (36%), organics (29%), and unprocessed foods (15%).
