Cereal remains the dominant breakfast food in America, and the companies that manufacture it are constantly rolling out new products, versions and variations, trying to capitalize on the latest trends. This year, 37% of cereal branding and marketing is on whole grain. But right behind that is high protein cereals, at 30%
Consumers overall seek out more high-protein foods, especially for breakfast, as part of a healthier diet. Popular Keto and Carnivore diets focus heavily on meat protein. But with the continued improvement in flavor and texture, plant-based proteins are also in high demand.
Several food manufacturers — including Carnation, General Mills, and Kellanova — introduced high-protein breakfast foods to satisfy the public’s appetite for more during the first meal of the day.
According to Modern Retail, part of the reason consumers seek out high-protein and nutrient-dense breakfast foods is the rising interest in weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy.
Another factor is to combat traditional breakfast foods loaded with sugar and carbs that contribute to weight gain, including kid cereals, bagels, donuts, orange juice, muffins, pancakes, croissants, and other sweet baked goods.
High-protein breakfast foods include eggs, Greek yogurt, sausages, cottage cheese, tofu, smoked salmon, and black beans for breakfast burritos. Food manufacturers are also fortifying their packaged breakfast foods with additional protein to meet public demand.
“My favorite breakfast is an omelet with avocado,” says Tiffany McCauley, the Gracious Pantry. “The protein and healthy fats keep me full until lunchtime. I also do an egg scramble with ground turkey and hot sauce that is really tasty. The higher protein just makes me feel better. I figured that out about a year ago and never looked back.”
The Breakfast Aisle’s First Protein Smoothie
Earlier this year, Carnation introduced the Carnation Breakfast Essentials Fruit & Protein Smoothie, the first smoothie nutritional drink found in the breakfast aisle. The new Strawberry Banana Smoothie nutritional drinks contain fruit purees providing 1/3 cup equivalent of fruit, 5 grams of protein per serving, and 21 vitamins and minerals. The smoothies also contain 50% less sugar than other refrigerated juices and smoothies.
“Nutrients that are missed at breakfast are unlikely to be made up later in the day, so we developed our new Carnation Breakfast Essentials Fruit & Protein Smoothie nutritional drinks to provide a delicious way for parents to support their families’ nutrient intake and help fuel them for their day,” explains Mohini Joshi, vice president of Brand Marketing, Nestlé Health Science USA.
General Mills Offers Several New High-Protein Cereals
General Mills has introduced several high-protein cereals in 2024, including Ghost Protein Cereal Marshmallow and Ghost Protein Cereal Peanut Butter. Ghost is a lifestyle brand of sports nutrition products, energy drinks, dietary supplements, and apparel.
Ghost Protein Cereal Marshmallow has 17 grams of protein per serving, while Ghost Protein Cereal Peanut Butter has 18 grams. The Ghost cereals only have six grams of sugar per serving – much lower than other sweetened cereals.
“It’s no secret that consumers are looking for more protein choices these days and the Ghost team has a reputation for disrupting the performance nutrition space with flavors that go beyond the basic chocolate or vanilla,” says Nicole Ayers, Cereal Business Unit director, General Mills.
General Mills ups the protein content even more with two varieties of Wheaties Protein: Maple Almond and Honey Pecan. One serving of Wheaties Protein contains more than 20 grams of protein. To put this into perspective, 2 eggs provide 12 grams of protein. Wheaties Protein is made with hearty nut-clustered whole grain flakes, almonds or pecans, pumpkin seeds, and honey or maple syrup.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. This handy calculator figures out how many grams of protein per day the government recommends for a given body weight.
“Wheaties has honored world-class athletes on our iconic orange boxes for more than 100 years and we are introducing Wheaties Protein to serve today’s modern athletes who are striving to be better everyday,” said Ayers. “We know people are looking for a boost of protein in the morning to help reach their goals and Wheaties Protein provides over 20 grams of protein in a delicious bowl of cereal that people can easily enjoy as part of their morning routine.”
Eggo Launches Its Most Protein-Packed Waffles
In May, Eggo introduced two varieties of Eggo Fully Loaded Waffles: Chocolate Chip Brownie and Strawberry Delight. Each 2-waffle serving of either flavor has 10 grams of protein – the highest protein content of any Eggo waffle.
To promote Eggo Fully Loaded Waffles, Eggo teamed up with sneakerhead legend and custom creator Dominic “The Surgeon” Ciambrone and SRGN to create the first-of-its-kind Eggo Fully Loaded Kicks. All proceeds from the waffle-grid-patterned sneakers went to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger. That means each pair of sneakers sold resulted in a $150 donation to No Kid Hungry, which could help provide 1,500 meals to kids.
“From satisfying their teens’ growing appetites to satisfying their teens’ growing fashion obsession, parents have a lot on their plate,” says Joe Beauprez, senior director of marketing for frozen foods at Kellanova. “We’re here to help them beat the chaos around what to eat and what to wear with a protein-packed collab both sneaker collectors and waffle superfans alike will be craving. Waffles are the original inspiration for the iconic sneaker soles of today, so it made perfect sense to kick off our launch with spectacular sneaks that pay homage to this delicious history.”
