Food brands are trying to adapt to the Ozempic era by following past playbooks

Ozempic face-off… As more people take appetite-suppressing drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, analysts have said the meds’ effects could eat into food sales. Walmart called out the drugs for a slight pullback in cart sizes. But food giants have a plan: create companion products that complement low-cal diets.

• Protein power: Nestlé and General Mills are creating protein-packed products to offset the muscle mass that Ozempic-takers typically lose on their LB-shedding journey.

• Smaller portions: Oreo maker Mondelez is expanding its line of individually wrapped snacks that have under 200 calories per pack.

Makin’ every calorie count… As many as 24M people — or nearly 7% of Americans — could be taking weight-loss meds in 2035, potentially slashing their calories by 30%, Morgan Stanley estimates. But while shrinking waistlines could hurt some grub sales (think: fast food, sugary snacks, anything resembling KFC’s Double Down sando), other foods could see a surge. BellRing Brands (PowerBar, Premier Protein) expect sales of its products to jump. BellRing and Ensure maker Abbott Labs are also making some options with extra nutrients tailored to folks taking Ozempic.

• Twinning: Others, like startup Supergut, are looking to replace expensive weight-loss drugs. Supergut markets its prebiotic fiber-filled shakes and bars as “nature’s Ozempic.” Sales are up 50% and the brand’s headed to grocery-store shelves.